Tragic Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Tearful family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the country.