Deadly Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told reporters.
The devastating event has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a significant contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.
