Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
