Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently 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 daughter back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the South Asian economy.
