Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 people have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the country.
