Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently 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 told news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a major source of economic income for the country.
