Deadly Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the nation.
