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A minimum of 16 people have died after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could rise.

16 bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.

Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still missing.

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

As late as 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 ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed journalists.

An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.

Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.

Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.

"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.

The devastating event has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the country.