Devastating Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
