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A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could increase.

A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the fire service stated.

Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their family members still missing.

The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.

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.

Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when combusted.

Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.

An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.

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

Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.

"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.

The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the country.