Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a huge fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when combusted.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An investigation 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 unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed 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 reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
