Devastating Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a enormous fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department reported.
Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately 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 told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
