Tragic Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has once again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the nation.
