Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the nation.
