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

A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could rise.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters said.

Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still missing.

The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.

Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when ignited.

Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told reporters.

An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.

Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost 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 daughter back," he told news media.

The tragic incident has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the country.