Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
