Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Lives

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

Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.

Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.

The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.

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

Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.

According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed reporters.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.

Weeping family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.

"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.

The devastating event has yet again highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the country.