At least 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has once again underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the country.
