Devastating Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told news media.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the South Asian economy.
