Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, 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.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the nation.
