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No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could climb.

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

Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still missing.

The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources said.

Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when burned.

Security personnel are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.

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

Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.

The devastating event has another time emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the country.