Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 individuals have died after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the nation.
