Deadly Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Crying family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told news media.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the nation.