Devastating Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, 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 indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.
