Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
At least 16 people have perished after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their family members still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages millions of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
