Tragic Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have died after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director briefed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the country.
