Deadly Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.