Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
