Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 people have died after a enormous fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring 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 completely doused, news sources said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
