Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have died after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports indicated.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the country.
