Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 people have died after a enormous fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
