Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have perished after a huge fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently 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 loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.