Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 people have perished after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the country.
