Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told reporters.
The devastating event has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to economic income for the country.