Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have perished after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant source of export earnings for the nation.
