Devastating Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
