Deadly Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Lives

No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could increase.

16 bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.

Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their dear ones still missing.

The blaze, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.

Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits 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 fire service official briefed journalists.

An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.

Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.

Present at the scene 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 cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to journalists.

The devastating event has once again underscored the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant source of export earnings for the country.