Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 individuals have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could rise.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the nation.
