Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing 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 haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the country.
