Tragic Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 individuals have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service reported.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the nation.
