Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 people have died after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.
