A minimum of 16 people have perished after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has once again emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
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