No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically 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 news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the nation.
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