Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The fire, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also releases toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.
The devastating event has once again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
