Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports reported.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages millions of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the nation.
