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No fewer than 16 people have perished after a huge fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could climb.

16 bodies have been retrieved but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters stated.

Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still missing.

The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.

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

According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when ignited.

Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told reporters.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.

Tearful family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.

"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.

The tragic incident has another time emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages countless of workers and is a major source of economic income for the country.