Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the nation.
