Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports reported.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The devastating event has another time underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the nation.
