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At least 16 persons have perished after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could rise.

A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.

Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still not found.

The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.

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

According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when ignited.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators 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.

Weeping family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

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

"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 devastating event has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages countless of workers and is a significant contributor to economic income for the nation.