Deadly Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 persons have perished after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
