Devastating Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the nation.
