Tragic Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he mentioned.
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 family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
