Devastating Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the country.
