Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when ignited.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a significant provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
