Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has another time highlighted the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the country.
