Devastating Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The devastating event has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the country.
