🔗 Share this article

A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could increase.

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.

Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still missing.

The fire, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources indicated.

Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when ignited.

Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed reporters.

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

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

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

"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.

The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the nation.