Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters said.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the nation.
