Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 persons have perished after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has yet again emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the nation.