Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major source of economic income for the country.
