Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their family members still not found.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Tearful family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the nation.
