A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives following a massive fire that erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of casualties may increase.
Sixteen remains have been retrieved but were charred beyond identification, according to the fire service.
Grieving family members assembled outside the four-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday, searching for their relatives who are still unaccounted for.
The fire, which ignited at the factory around noon, was brought under control after three hours. However, an adjoining chemical storage facility continued to blaze, officials reported.
Significant fires are somewhat frequent in the densely populated region of Bangladesh, often resulting from inadequate safety regulations and poor infrastructure. Numerous fatalities have occurred due to fires in recent years.
As of 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical storage site in Mirpur had not been fully extinguished, according to media sources.
Officials from the fire service have not yet determined which of the two structures ignited first.
Eyewitnesses reported that the chemical warehouse contained bleaching agent, plastic, and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can exacerbate fires. Burning plastic can also emit hazardous fumes.
Fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed local reporters that the victims likely perished “immediately” after breathing in “highly toxic gas”.
Law enforcement and military personnel are still striving to identify the owners of both the factory and the chemical storage, as stated by Mr. Chowdhury to the press.
He added that an inquiry regarding the legality of the warehouse’s operations is also in progress.
Sobbing relatives stood by the charred structures, many holding images of their absent family members.
Among them is a man who is anxiously looking for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
“Upon hearing about the fire, I dashed here. Yet, I have not located her….I only want my daughter back,” he conveyed to Reuters news agency.
In 2021, a fire at a beverage manufacturing facility resulted in a minimum of 52 fatalities and 20 injuries. Investigations later revealed that the factory was constructed illegally and lacked an emergency exit.
In 2019, a rapidly spreading fire devastated a historic area in Dhaka, claiming the lives of at least 78 individuals, including members of a wedding party.
The deadliest industrial disaster in the country to date occurred in 2013, when an eight-story commercial structure collapsed due to structural failures, resulting in over 1,100 deaths.
