Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still not found.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the nation.
