Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing 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 child back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
