Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the death toll could rise.
16 bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which started at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
