Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently 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 child back," he expressed to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a major provider of export earnings for the country.
