Devastating Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the South Asian economy.
