Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
