Tragic Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 individuals have died after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the nation.
