Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Weeping family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the nation.
