Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.
Until 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 established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
