Fire breaks out in 22-storey building in Bangladesh; several feared trapped

Dhaka: Several people were feared trapped in a 22-storey building which caught fire in Dhaka’s Banani area on Thursday in the latest blaze to hit the Bangladeshi capital.

The incident happened on Thursday afternoon in the building that houses several garment shops and internet service providers.

The actual number of people inside the building when the fire broke out was not known.

“The fire broke out at FR Tower around 12:52 pm on Thursday,”Ataur Rahman, an officer of the Dhaka Fire Service Central Control Room, was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.

“Twenty-one firefighting units of the Dhaka Fire Service and Civil Defence are trying to douse the fire,” he said.

Apart from the fire tenders, Bangladesh Air force helicopters and Navy commandos have been sent to the spot to douse the blaze.

The blaze was such that over half a dozen people jumped off from various floors of the high-rise, while the ambulances on the ground immediately rushed them to the hospital, other senior officials at the spot said.

While the actual reason behind the blaze was not known, eyewitnesses and a government officer at the spot said that the fire broke out on the eight floor of the building and later spread to the other parts.

However, fire service did not comment on what caused the fire.

“Three units of Bangladesh Navy are working to tame the blaze. We have brought around 50 per cent of the fire under control,”Siraj, a Navy officer, said.

“Many have taken shelter on the roof, and some are asking for rescue through windows, the paper quoted him as saying.

The officials concerned have reported that several groups of people have already been rescued from the burning building.

Last month at least 70 people were killed and over 50 injured when a fast-moving fire swept through an apartment buildings and chemical warehouses in Dhaka’s congested Chawkbazar area.