Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have perished after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Crying family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
