Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have died after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their loved ones still missing.
The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the country.
