Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.
