No fewer than 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a significant provider of foreign revenue for the country.
