Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire department said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
