Asia Pacific
18:23, 28-Mar-2019
19 dead in huge Dhaka office block fire
Updated
22:41, 28-Mar-2019
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The death toll from a massive fire that engulfed a high-rise commercial building in the upmarket commercial district of Banani in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Thursday afternoon has risen to 19, local media reported.
Many were injured but the exact number is unknown.
Rescue workers warned the death toll could rise sharply following the recovery of charred bodies from the complex.
The fire broke out on the eighth floor of the 22-story building at about 1:00 p.m. and engulfed other floors immediately. Desperate workers leaped to their deaths as the huge fire tore through the office block. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
People are being rescued as a fire broke out at a multi-story commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 28, 2019. /VCG Photo
People are being rescued as a fire broke out at a multi-story commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 28, 2019. /VCG Photo
The fire was brought under control around 4:45 p.m.
A total of 21 firefighting units were dispatched to put out the blaze and rescue the people trapped inside.
Helicopters dropped water on the blaze as firefighters rescued people through the windows using ladders.
Some 100 people were rushed to different city hospitals with injuries.
There is no official word on how many people are still trapped inside the building as the rescue operation continues.