Deadly Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Fatalities

No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the death toll could climb.

A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department said.

Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.

The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.

Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.

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

Tearful family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the nation.