Devastating Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Victims

A minimum of 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could rise.

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

Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.

The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.

Up 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.

Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director briefed journalists.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.

Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.

"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.

The devastating event has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.