Video Shows Moment Seven-storey Building Caught Fire in Dhaka

Dhaka – At least 44 died and dozens were injured after a massive fire engulfed a six-story building in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka. Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen confirmed the death toll and informed that the fire broke out late Thursday in the building in Dhaka's downtown area, CBS News reported. While the firefighters conducted the rescue mission at the doomed site, the Bangladeshi health minister noted that at least 22 people were wounded in the fatal incident. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence posted a video on Facebook in which firefighters can be seen on a crane helping people to evacuate from the upper levels of the building. 

It is pertinent to note that the cause of the fire is yet to be determined. In his statement, Sen mentioned that at least 34 people including women and children, were declared dead at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, while at least 10 others died after they were taken to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Meanwhile, one of the survivors of the tragic incident told the local reporters that he jumped out of a window to save himself but two of his coworkers died after getting trapped inside. "When the fire caught in the front and broke the glass, our cashier and servicemen made everyone out," Altaf said. “But both of them died later. I went to the kitchen, broke a window and jumped to save myself,” he added. Meanwhile, the rescue workers stated that at least 75 people were rescued from the site, out of which 42 were unconscious. 

Dozens of firefighting units reached the site 

Shortly after the news of the fire broke out, dozens of firefighting units were deployed at the site to douse the raging blaze. The authorities noted that the fire broke out at the Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall. According to CBS News, the fire began in a popular restaurant on the first floor of the mall which is located in a busy commercial district at the heart of the capital. The rescuers mentioned that many of the victims lost their lives after being trapped by the fire. When it comes to the exact timing of the incident, Fire Department official Mohammad Shihab noted that the blaze originated at 9:50 pm (local time) and spread to the upper floors soon after. 

The building where the fire ripped through houses mainly restaurants along with several clothing and mobile phone shops. “We were on the sixth floor when we first saw smoke racing through the staircase. A lot of people rushed upstairs. We used a water pipe to climb down the building. Some of us were injured as they jumped from upstairs,” a restaurant manager named Sohel told the local reporters. Fires in apartment buildings and factory complexes are common in Bangladesh. One of the major reasons for this is the country's lax enforcement of safety rules. In July 2021, at least 52 people including several children were killed when the fire swept through a food processing factory.