Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 people have died after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he added.
Crying family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
