Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has another time underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.
