Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Victims

No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could increase.

A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department reported.

Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their family members still not found.

The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials said.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.

Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when ignited.

Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told the media.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.

Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the nation.