Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the country.