Deadly Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the country.
