Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 people have perished after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
