Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a huge fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their family members still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the nation.
