Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
