Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 people have died after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the country.
