Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities

A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department said.

Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their family members still not found.

The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.

Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when combusted.

Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed journalists.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he noted.

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

Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.

"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to reporters.

The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant provider of foreign revenue for the country.