Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of 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 catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to economic income for the nation.