Tragic Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
