Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the nation.
