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At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could rise.

A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service said.

Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their loved ones still missing.

The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.

Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.

An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.

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

Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.

The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the country.