Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Weeping family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has yet again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the country.
