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No fewer than 16 persons have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could rise.

16 bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters said.

Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still not found.

The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.

Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when burned.

Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed reporters.

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

Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.

Included in the crowd 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 have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he told reporters.

The devastating event has yet again underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.