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At least 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could increase.

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire service reported.

Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still not found.

The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.

Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he added.

Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.

Present at the scene 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 child back," he stated to reporters.

The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages millions of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.