Devastating Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims

A minimum of 16 people have died after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could rise.

A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the firefighters said.

Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still missing.

The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.

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

Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when burned.

Security personnel are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.

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

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

Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.

The devastating event has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major source of economic income for the country.