Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Victims

At least 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could increase.

16 bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters said.

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

The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports reported.

Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits toxic fumes when combusted.

Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told journalists.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.

Tearful family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.

Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.

"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told reporters.

The devastating event has once again highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a major provider of export earnings for the country.