Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the nation.
