Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 individuals have died after a huge fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the death toll could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their family members still missing.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services 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 indicated.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
