Devastating Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims

A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could climb.

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

Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their dear ones still not found.

The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.

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

Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.

According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when burned.

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

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

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

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.

"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.

The devastating event has another time highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.