Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
