Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Weeping family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd 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 child back," he expressed to journalists.
The devastating event has once again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the country.
