Tragic Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Victims

A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire department stated.

Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.

The blaze, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.

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

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

According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when ignited.

Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed the media.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.

Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.

Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a major provider of export earnings for the nation.