Devastating Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Lives

No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could increase.

16 bodies have been found but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire department reported.

Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.

The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.

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

According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when burned.

Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed journalists.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.

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

Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.

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

The devastating event has once again emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the nation.