Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
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.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a major provider of export earnings for the nation.
