Devastating Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their family members still not found.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.
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 said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
