Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost 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 cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a major source of economic income for the South Asian economy.
