Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby 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 indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing 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 haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the country.
