Devastating Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.
