Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the nation.