Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have perished after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned 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 devastating event has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the nation.