Tragic Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was brought under control after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to journalists.
The devastating event has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
