At least 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the nation.
A seasoned software engineer with a passion for open-source projects and tech education.
