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At least 16 persons have died after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the death toll could rise.

16 bodies have been found but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters said.

Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still missing.

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

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.

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

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when burned.

Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed journalists.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he noted.

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

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"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 expressed to journalists.

The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.