Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the country.
