Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has once again underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the country.
