Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant contributor to economic income for the nation.
