Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the country.
