Tragic Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after three 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 reported.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd 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 haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.
