Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Lives

A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could climb.

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

Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their loved ones still missing.

The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports reported.

Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when ignited.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.

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

Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.

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

The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.