Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.
