Devastating Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated impossible to identify, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he told reporters.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the nation.
