Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the nation.
