Deadly Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
