Tragic Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have died after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.
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.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the nation.