Devastating Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages countless of workers and is a significant source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
