Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have perished after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the nation.