Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 persons have perished after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports indicated.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a major source of economic income for the nation.