Deadly Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Lives

At least 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could climb.

A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service stated.

Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still missing.

The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.

Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.

Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told journalists.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he mentioned.

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

Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.

The devastating event has another time emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the country.