Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the country.
