At least 16 people were killed Tuesday when a fire tore through a chemical and garments factory in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, officials said.

The blaze began in the factory's warehouse before spreading to a nearby multi-storey garments facility, said Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director at the Fire Service Department.

All the bodies were recovered from the garments factory, Chowdhury told reporters, confirming the toll.

Outside the factory, distraught relatives searched for loved ones. Abdur Rahman, 19, said he was looking for his brother Robin.

Firefighters douse flames as smoke rises from the burning chemical and garments factory in Dhaka.PHOTO:AFP

"I found one of his colleagues, who escaped by breaking a window. He saw my brother Robin inside," Rahman told AFP. "He didn't make it."

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