Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
