Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their family members still missing.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the nation.
