Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The fire, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Weeping 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 family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The devastating event has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the nation.
