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No fewer than 16 persons have perished after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department said.

Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their loved ones still not found.

The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.

Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when burned.

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

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

Weeping family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.

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

The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the South Asian economy.