Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 persons have perished after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still not found.
The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the country.
