Tragic Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives

At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could rise.

Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.

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

The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.

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

According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.

Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed reporters.

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

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

Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.

The devastating event has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the country.