Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the death toll could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated 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 fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.
