Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports indicated.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the nation.
