Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"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 stated to news media.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the nation.
