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No fewer than 16 persons have perished after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could increase.

A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department reported.

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

The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.

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

Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when burned.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.

An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.

Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged 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 heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.

The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.