By Md. Kamruzzaman
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA): 25 people were killed on Thursday when a fire broke out in a high-rise building in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, officials said.
At least 25 bodies have been recovered from the site, Shamim Hasan, deputy director of the Fire Service and Civil Defense department, told reporters.
“Bodies of 25 victims in the fire incident have been recovered and identified,” said Mostaq Ahmed, deputy commissioner (Gulshan division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
“Of them, 24 have been handed over to the families,” he told the media.
The fire broke out around 12:50pm, trapping several hundred people inside the building.
100 people who have been injured have been admitted to various hospitals in the city.
At least three Bangladesh Air Force helicopters were seen at the site engaged in search and rescue efforts.
Many people who took shelter on the rooftop were rescued. Several others were rescued after smashing glass panes of the windows.
According to witnesses the fire broke out in a sixth-floor restaurant.
A number of people are being treated at the Kurmitola Hospital. Some tried to escape the burning building by jumping from the higher floors.
The 22-story FR Tower building in the upscale Banani area caught fire this afternoon, fire service spokesman Ataur Rahman told local media.
A total of 21 fire engines worked for several hours to douse the blaze.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of fire.
Last month, a fire in an old and congested area of Dhaka claimed 70 lives.
Additional report by The Muslim News
[Photo: Firefighters rescue people after fire broke out in a high-rise building in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 28, 2019. Photographer: Zakir Hossain Chowdhury/AA]
