Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their family members still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to economic income for the country.
