Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
