Devastating Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their family members still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the country.
