Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their family members still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits toxic fumes when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he added.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the country.
