Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the nation.
