Devastating Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have died after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, 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 bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The tragic incident has once again underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the country.
