Tragic Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still missing.
The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of 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 news media.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the nation.
