Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has once again underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the country.
