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No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could increase.

Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service said.

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

The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.

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

Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when ignited.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.

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

Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.

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

"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.

The devastating event has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages millions of workers and is a significant source of export earnings for the country.