Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims

At least 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could increase.

A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters reported.

Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.

The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.

Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.

According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when combusted.

Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed reporters.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he added.

Weeping family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.

"When I learned 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 devastating event has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.