Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources indicated.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the country.
