Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims

No fewer than 16 persons have died after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire department said.

Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.

The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.

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

Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when combusted.

Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed the media.

An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.

Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping 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 rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.

The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.