Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Weeping family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the country.