Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 persons have perished after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
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 service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has once again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the country.
