Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could rise.
16 bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
