Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have died after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
