Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
