Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have died after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the country.
