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At least 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department said.

Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.

The fire, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.

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

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

Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke 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 informed reporters.

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

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

Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.

"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.

The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the nation.