Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have died after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant source of export earnings for the country.
