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At least 16 persons have perished after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could rise.

16 bodies have been found but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters said.

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

The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.

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

According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when ignited.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told journalists.

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

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

Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.

"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.

The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.