Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the number of victims could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has once again underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the country.