Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 people have died after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he added.
Weeping family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.
