Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost 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 child back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has another time underscored the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
