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At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could climb.

Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.

Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still missing.

The fire, which started at the factory around midday, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.

Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.

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

Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases toxic fumes when ignited.

Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official informed journalists.

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

Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.

Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.

"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.

The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.