Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the country.
