Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still not found.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, 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 said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
