Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Victims
At least 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the nation.
