Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the nation.
