Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.