Devastating Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have perished after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the country.
