Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service reported.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently 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 child back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the country.
