Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Victims

No fewer than 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could climb.

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

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still not found.

The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.

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

According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers 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, fire service director the department director informed reporters.

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

Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.

The tragic incident has another time emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the country.