Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
At least 16 people have perished after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still not found.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the country.
