Tragic Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
