Tragic Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing 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 haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
