Devastating Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several 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 fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages countless of workers and is a major source of economic income for the South Asian economy.
