Devastating Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a huge fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still not found.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
