Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also emits toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a major source of economic income for the country.
