Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service reported.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
