Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.
The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant provider of foreign revenue for the country.
