Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has once again underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
