Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 individuals have lost their lives after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the nation.
