Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their family members still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the country.
