Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Fatalities

No fewer than 16 people have perished after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service stated.

Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their loved ones still missing.

The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.

Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when burned.

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

An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.

Tearful family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.