Devastating Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the country.
