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A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the fatality count could rise.

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

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still missing.

The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.

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

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

According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told reporters.

An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.

Weeping family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.

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

The tragic incident has another time highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.