Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 people have died after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-storey 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 midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has once again underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major source of economic income for the South Asian economy.
