Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
