Tragic Garment Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Victims

No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the fatality count could climb.

16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.

Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still not found.

The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.

Until 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 established which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told journalists.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.

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 searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.

"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.

The devastating event has another time underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the nation.