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At least 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters said.

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their dear ones still missing.

The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.

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

According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.

Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.

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

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

Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.