Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
