Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
