Tragic Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages countless of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the South Asian economy.
