Tragic Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the nation.
