Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the nation.
