Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources indicated.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
