Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources indicated.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
