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

No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the fatality count could rise.

A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department said.

Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their family members still missing.

The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.

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

Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when ignited.

Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told journalists.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.

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

Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

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

The tragic incident has once again underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.