Deadly Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have perished after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a major provider of export earnings for the nation.
