Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
