Devastating Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the country.
