Tragic Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have perished after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
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 indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.
