Devastating Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The devastating event has once again underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the nation.
