Devastating Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the nation.
