Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Tearful family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding 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 have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has once again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the nation.
