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A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the death toll could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department reported.

Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still missing.

The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials reported.

As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources indicated.

Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.

According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when combusted.

Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told reporters.

An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.

Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.

Present at the scene is a man looking frantically 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 daughter back," he told news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.