Deadly Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have perished after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the death toll could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their family members still not found.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.
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.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the country.
