No fewer than 16 individuals have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department reported.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
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