Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the country.
