Devastating Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits toxic fumes 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 briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
