Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the death toll could rise.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
