Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned 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 hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the country.
