Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned 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 family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages countless of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the country.
