Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their family members still not found.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages millions of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the nation.
