Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has once again underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages countless of workers and is a major source of economic income for the country.
