Deadly Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
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 told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant provider of foreign revenue for the country.
