Tragic Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring 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 fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told news media.
The devastating event has yet again emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
