Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the nation.