Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have lost their lives after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has another time underscored the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a major source of economic income for the nation.
