Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the firefighters said.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost 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 have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the nation.