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No fewer than 16 people have died after a huge fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the death toll could climb.

A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department said.

Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still missing.

The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.

Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.

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

Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.

An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.

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

Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.

The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the country.