Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, 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, news sources indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told reporters.
The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the country.
