Tragic Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Victims

At least 16 people have perished after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could increase.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service said.

Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.

The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials confirmed.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.

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

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed journalists.

An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.

Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.

The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.