Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 people have died after a huge fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically 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 expressed to journalists.
The devastating event has yet again underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the country.