Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director briefed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically 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 daughter back," he stated to news media.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the country.
