Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have died after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, 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 ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful 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, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the country.
