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At least 16 individuals have died after a huge fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the number of victims could rise.

A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.

Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still missing.

The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.

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

Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.

According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases when burned.

Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed reporters.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.

Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.

Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.

The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.