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At least 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could rise.

A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.

Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still missing.

The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources indicated.

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

Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when ignited.

Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.

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

Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.

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

"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.

The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the nation.