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

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department reported.

Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.

The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.

Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when burned.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed the media.

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

Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.

Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.

"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.