Devastating Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the nation.
