Tragic Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 people have perished after a huge fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, 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 ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the nation.