Police have said that at least 19 people have been killed in an office building fire in the business district of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. The blaze is the latest in a series of workplace fires.
Image: AFP/M. Uz Zaman
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A massive fire inside the 22-story FR Tower in the Banani area of the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday has left a number of people dead, others feared to be trapped inside, and many injured.
Helicopters dropped water on the blaze as flames and thick black smoke poured out of the windows.
A number of people are being treated at the Kurmitola Hospital and 19 people are feared dead. Some tried to escape the burning building by jumping from the higher floors.
The current situation
Rescue workers are on the scene attempting to rescue people still trapped in the building.
The building, located in Dhaka's crowded commercial district, houses offices and other businesses.
Witnesses say the fire broke out in a sixth-floor restaurant.
Several people leaped to their deaths from the upper floors of the 19-story building as firefighters smashed windows to allow fumes to escape and provide an exit for those trapped inside.
The military used helicopters to rescue several people from the roof of the building.
Authorities warn that the death toll could rise significantly, and scores of victims are being treated at a nearby hospital.
The latest in a tragic series of deadly fires
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Lieutenant Colonel Julfikar Rhaman of Dhaka Fire Services said: "Teams have entered the building and they are scouring the floors for any remaining victims. The building did not have firefighting equipment."
In 2012, a fire at a garment factory shocked the world when 112 workers were killed because they were locked in the building and could not escape the flames. Just months later another garment factory collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people. A 2010 blaze at an illegal chemical storage facility killed at least 123 people.
Building inspections regularly find exits and staircases locked or blocked by stored goods.
Bangladesh's worst building disasters
Devastating fires and building collapses are fairly common in Bangladesh, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced. Here are some of the worst tragedies in the impoverished country.
Image: Reuters/M. Ponir Hossain
Rana Plaza disaster, 2013
The collapse of the nine-story Rana Plaza garment factory in Dhaka on April 24, 2013, is one of the world's worst industrial accidents. More than 1,100 people were killed and another 2,000 were injured in the tragedy.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Abdullah
After the collapse
The disaster shed light on the poor safety conditions in Bangladeshi factories, many of which produce clothing for Western brands. Dozens of people, including Rana Plaza's owner, are standing trial for negligence. Despite some reforms to improve safety in the billion-dollar industry, Bangladeshi textile workers remain some of the lowest paid in the world.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Nimtoli explosion, 2010
Bangladesh's deadliest industrial blaze to date tore through one of Dhaka's most densely populated areas on June 3, 2010, killing 117 people. A number of multi-story apartment buildings and shops in the Nimtoli district went up in flames after an electrical transformer exploded.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/epa/A. Abdullah
Ashulia garment factory fire, 2012
At least 112 workers were killed in a fire at the nine-story Tazreen Fashion factory in the outskirts of Dhaka on November 24, 2012. An investigation later found it was caused by arson and that managers at the Ashulia district plant had locked the gates to prevent victims from getting out. Above, a soldier inspects a room of charred sewing machines.
Image: Reuters
Chawkbazar blaze, 2019
At least 70 people were killed in a fire that engulfed apartment blocks in a historic Dhaka shopping district on February 20, 2019. The blaze began in a property in Chawkbazar where chemicals for household products were being stored illegally, before quickly spreading to several other buildings. It took almost 12 hours for firefighters to put out the flames.
Image: picture-alliance/Xinhua/S. Reza
Tongi factory fire, 2016
A fire triggered by a boiler explosion at a cigarette packaging factory north of Dhaka on September 10 killed some 31 people. Chemicals stored on the ground floor of the Tongi warehouse are thought to have helped the blaze spread quickly.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com
Gazipur factory collapse, 2017
A boiler explosion was also behind the collapse of garment factory in Gazipur, a city north of the capital, on July 4, 2017. Thirteen people were killed. Fortunately, thousands of workers were away for the Eid holidays.
