Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have died after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.
