Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also releases toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them 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 child back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the nation.