Devastating Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 individuals have died after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources indicated.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has once again underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the nation.
