Devastating Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 persons have perished after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
