Devastating Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the country.
