Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities

At least 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could climb.

16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters said.

Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still not found.

The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.

Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when burned.

Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed journalists.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.

Weeping family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.

Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.

"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.

The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages millions of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.