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A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could rise.

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service stated.

Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.

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

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

Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told journalists.

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

Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.

Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the nation.