Devastating Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
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 informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members gathered 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 learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the country.
