Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters said.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the nation.
