Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately 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 loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
