Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have perished after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major source of economic income for the country.
