At least 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service said. Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. However, an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
Large fires are relatively common in densely populated Bangladesh, often due to lax safety standards and poor infrastructure. Hundreds of people have been killed in fires in recent years.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse in Mirpur had not been completely doused.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored materials like bleaching powder and hydrogen peroxide, which can intensify fires and release toxic fumes when burned. Fire service officials indicated that victims likely died instantly due to inhaling highly toxic gas.
The situation has prompted police and military officers to seek the owners of the factory and the warehouse, with an ongoing investigation to determine if the warehouse was operating legally.
As families mourn and search for the missing, the incident evokes memories of previous industrial disasters in Bangladesh, underscoring the urgent need for improved safety measures in the country's factories.
