Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims

No fewer than 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could climb.

A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service reported.

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still missing.

The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.

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

Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when burned.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told reporters.

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

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

Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.

"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 told journalists.

The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.