Devastating Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have perished after a huge fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.
