Devastating Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a huge fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.
The devastating event has yet again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
