Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 persons have died after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping 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 came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The tragic incident has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to economic income for the country.
