Deadly Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a major source of economic income for the nation.
