Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 persons have died after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their family members still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
