Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities

A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters said.

Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their loved ones still unaccounted for.

The fire, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.

Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when ignited.

Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed reporters.

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

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

Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.

The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the nation.