Deadly Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.
The tragic incident has once again underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the nation.
