Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their family members still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the country.