Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs numerous of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.
