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At least 16 people have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could increase.

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

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still unaccounted for.

The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.

Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.

Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed reporters.

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

Weeping family members stood 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, 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 daughter back," he stated to news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the nation.