Tragic Apparel Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims

At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could rise.

Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department stated.

Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.

The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.

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

Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when burned.

Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed reporters.

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

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

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

"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.

The devastating event has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the country.