Devastating Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke 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 reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
