Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
At least 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has yet again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the nation.