A massive fire tore through a six-storey building in the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka, late on Thursday, killing at least 43 people and leaving dozens injured, the country’s health minister  Samanta Lal Sen informed. 

The fire first started in an in-house restaurant of the building and swiftly engulfed adjacent floors, according to officials from the fire service. 

After taking stock of the situation following his visit to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh’s Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen informed that the incident resulted in the deaths of 43 people, with 22 others receiving treatment for severe burn injuries. 

Regrettably, all 22 patients admitted with critical burns remain in precarious conditions, Sen added.

Meanwhile, the cause of the fire remains under investigation, although it was brought under control after a frantic two-hour battle by 13 firefighting units, fire service officials mentioned.

Dangerous building with gas cylinders on every floor 

Survivor Mohammad Altaf recounted his narrow escape from the fire and told reporters that he managed to flee through a broken window. Tragically, two of his colleagues perished in the incident.

“It was a dangerous building with gas cylinders on every floor, even on the staircases,” Altaf told reporters.

Firefighters used a crane to rescue trapped individuals from the charred building, as confirmed by fire service authorities. 

Brigadier General Main Uddin, Director of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD), said that the fire might have originated from a gas leak or stove malfunction.

He also highlighted the perilous conditions within the building, stating the presence of gas cylinders on every floor, including staircases.

“It was a dangerous building with gas cylinders on every floor, even on the staircases,” he said. 

Fire incidents have been a regular occurrence in densely populated Dhaka, which has experienced a boom in new buildings, often built without proper safety measures.