Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the nation.
