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At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the fatality count could increase.

A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service stated.

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.

The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.

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

According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases toxic fumes when burned.

Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed the media.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he added.

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

Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.