Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 persons have perished after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters said.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically 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 loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the nation.
