Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.
Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has once again emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant source of export earnings for the nation.
