Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he told reporters.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
