Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the country.
