Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director briefed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the country.
