Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities

At least 16 people have perished after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could rise.

16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service stated.

Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still missing.

The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.

Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when burned.

Police and military officers are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told the media.

An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.

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

Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.

"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.

The tragic incident has yet again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the nation.