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No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could rise.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters said.

Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still not found.

The fire, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.

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

Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when ignited.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director briefed journalists.

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

Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the country.