Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 individuals have died after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director briefed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the South Asian economy.
