Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the nation.
