Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have died after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the death toll could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their family members still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the nation.
