Deadly Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a huge fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their dear ones still not found.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The tragic incident has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a significant source of export earnings for the nation.
