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A minimum of 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could increase.

Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service said.

Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still missing.

The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.

Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.

Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when burned.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.

An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he added.

Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.

"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he expressed to reporters.

The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.