Two dead in Banani fire

At least two people were killed and an unspecified number of people suffered injuries as a huge fire broke out at a multi-storey building at Kamal Ataturk Avenue in the city's Banani area on Thursday.

Delwar Hossain, an administrative officer at Kurmitola General Hospital, said a man was declared dead after he was taken to the hospital.

Besides, he said, 25 injured were admitted to the hospital.

Bachchu Miah, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) police camp, said a man named Abdullah Al Faruq died at the hospital after he was taken there from the spot.

The fire that broke out around 12:45pm on the fifth floor of the 22-storey FR Tower could not be brought under control till filing of the report at 4:25pm, said an official at Fire Service and Civil Defence control room.

Many people are believed to have got trapped in the burning building while an unspecified number of panicked people suffered injuries as they jumped off its different floors for safety.

Besides, around 30 people who fell sick from suffocation were also taken to hospital.

Fire service officials feared that the fire may engulf the adjoining buildings if it cannot be doused quickly.

Residents of the adjoining buildings have left their flats fearing danger as huge black fumes are coming out of the building.

Many of the injured were taken to Kurmitola General Hospital.

Twenty firefighting units rushed in and are trying to extinguish the blaze till filing of this report around 2:33pm.

Three helicopters of Air Force, Navy and Army have joined the operation to assist the firefighters.

However, it is still not clear what caused the fire.

Besides, fire-fighters rescued 20 people from adjoining 'Ahmed Tower' by breaking its grills, according to a witnesses account.

Many people were also rescued by breaking the windowpanes of the burning building.

Witnesses said many of the trapped people took shelter on the rooftop of the building from where around 20 people were rescued by helicopters, reports UNB.