Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
