At least 70 people have died after a fire broke out in an apartment building that was reportedly also used as a chemicals warehouse. The blaze also spread to nearby buildings. Officials expect the death toll to rise.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
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A massive fire broke out in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Wednesday night, killing and injuring dozens of people.
On Thursday morning, fire officials said at least 70 people were killed in the blaze, adding that the death toll is likely to rise.
Over 40 people were being treated for injuries, with many of them sustaining burns, a police official told news agency dpa.
"There was a traffic jam when the fire broke out. It spread so quickly that people could not escape," Bangladesh's fire service chief Ali Ahmed told news agency AFP.
The fire broke out around 10:40 p.m. local time in the Chawkbazar area of Dhaka, in an old part of the city where the streets are very narrow and many residential buildings stand just inches apart.
TV images of the site showed the main gate of one building was locked, leaving residents unable to escape the fire as it spread. Witnesses said that a bridal party in a community center were also caught in the fire and that many were injured.
The fire continued to burn on Thursday morning, despite the efforts of more than 200 firefightersImage: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/R. Asad
Residential buildings housing chemicals
The blaze began in the ground floor of a four-story building, before quickly spreading to three neighboring buildings, fire officials said.
Mainul Khan, a journalist in Dhaka, told DW that the fire is believed to have started when a gas-fueled car exploded. It then spread to a building used as a chemicals warehouse. The other residential buildings that caught fire may have also served as places to store plastics and chemical goods, he said.
Over 200 firefighters worked to put out the blaze, which was mostly under control after more than nine hours of frantic efforts.
The fire has several similarities to a devastating Nimtoli blaze in 2010 at a building in Dhaka that killed more than 120 people.
Selim Newaz Bhuiyan, a former fire brigade official who was involved in the rescue operation in 2010, told DW "there is no difference between the accidents in Nimtoli and Chawkbazar."
Following the 2010 fire, city authorities had identified 800 chemical warehouses to relocate away from residential areas "but it didn't happen," he said.
Mostafizur Rahman, chief executive officer of Dhaka South City Corporation, told DW that chemical warehouses were supposed to be relocated through the industries ministry.
"But due to various complexities, the relocation has not taken place thus far," he said.
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.
