Tragic Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has yet again emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the country.
