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A minimum of 16 people have perished after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could rise.

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service stated.

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

The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials confirmed.

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

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

Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed the media.

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

Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.

Among them 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 told reporters.

The tragic incident has once again highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the nation.