A fire at a garment factory in Bangladesh and an adjacent chemical warehouse has killed at least 16 people and the death toll could rise further, officials say.

The cause of the blaze wasn't immediately known, fire service director Tajul Islam Chowdhury said.

"Sixteen bodies have been recovered from the second and third floors of the garment factory," he said.

The fire broke out on the third floor of the four-storey factory in the Mirpur area of the capital Dhaka, before spreading to a chemical warehouse storing bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, Talha Bin Jashim, a fire department official said, citing witnesses.

Firefighters brought the factory blaze under control after nearly three hours, though the fire at the warehouse continued.

Grief-stricken relatives gathered to

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