Devastating Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring 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 fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.