Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have perished after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.
The devastating event has yet again underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the country.
