Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Victims

At least 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the fatality count could rise.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service reported.

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still not found.

The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources indicated.

Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when combusted.

Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.

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

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.

The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the nation.