Deadly Garment Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities

No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could rise.

A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department reported.

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still missing.

The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.

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

Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when ignited.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed journalists.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.

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

Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently 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 expressed to reporters.

The devastating event has another time highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the nation.