Tragic Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he told news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
