Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities

No fewer than 16 persons have died after a huge fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could increase.

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

Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.

The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.

Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits toxic fumes when burned.

Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.

Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.

Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.

"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.

The tragic incident has once again emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a major provider of export earnings for the country.