Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have perished after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director briefed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the fire-damaged 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 came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
