Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the country.
