Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives

A minimum of 16 people have died after a enormous fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the number of victims could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department reported.

Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.

The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports reported.

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

According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when ignited.

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

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

Crying family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.

Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.

The tragic incident has another time highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the country.