Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has another time underscored the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the country.
