Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
At least 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the nation.