Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
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 service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases toxic fumes when burned.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.
The devastating event has another time underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the nation.
