Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their family members still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members waited 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 came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to economic income for the nation.