Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the country.
