Devastating Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
