Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their family members still missing.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the country.
