Devastating Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities

No fewer than 16 persons have died after a huge fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could increase.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters said.

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

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

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.

Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.

According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed reporters.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he added.

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

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told news media.

The devastating event has yet again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a major provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.