Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have perished after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service reported.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources indicated.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
