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A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could climb.

16 bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters said.

Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.

The inferno, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.

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

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

Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when burned.

Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.

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

Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told reporters.

The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.