No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources indicated.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the country.
