Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Fatalities

No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could increase.

Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service reported.

Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.

The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.

Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told journalists.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.

Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.

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

The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages millions of workers and is a major source of economic income for the South Asian economy.