Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the country.
