Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.
The devastating event has another time underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a major source of economic income for the nation.
