Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters said.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
