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A minimum of 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department reported.

Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.

The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.

Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.

Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.

Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when combusted.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.

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

Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost 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 daughter back," he told journalists.

The devastating event has yet again emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the nation.