Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the nation.
