Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters said.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the country.
