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A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could climb.

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

Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still not found.

The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services confirmed.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.

Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.

According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.

Police and military officers are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told journalists.

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

Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.

Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.

The devastating event has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the nation.