Deadly Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
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 determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors 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 ongoing, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
