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At least 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could rise.

A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire service reported.

Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their family members still not found.

The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.

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

Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when burned.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed the media.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.

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

Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.

The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the country.