Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
At least 16 people have perished after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The devastating event has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major source of economic income for the nation.
