Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the country.
