Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Fatalities

No fewer than 16 people have perished after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could rise.

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters said.

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.

The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.

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

Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also releases toxic fumes when burned.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told the media.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he mentioned.

Crying family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing 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 daughter back," he expressed to journalists.

The tragic incident has once again highlighted the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.