Deadly Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the nation.
