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At least 16 individuals have died after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department stated.

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

The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.

As late as 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 established which of the two buildings caught fire first.

Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when burned.

Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed reporters.

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

Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.

The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the country.