Devastating Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
