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No fewer than 16 persons have died after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could rise.

A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters stated.

Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.

The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.

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

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

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed journalists.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.

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

Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.

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

The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the nation.