Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically 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 loved one back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
