Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have died after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.
The devastating event has another time underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the country.
