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A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service said.

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still missing.

The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.

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

According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases toxic fumes when ignited.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.

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

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

Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.

"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the nation.