Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have perished after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still not found.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
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, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the country.