Tragic Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has once again underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
