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At least 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could climb.

A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department said.

Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.

The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.

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

According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when ignited.

Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told journalists.

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

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

Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.

The devastating event has another time emphasized the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the nation.