At least 43 people have died in a fire that broke out at a six-storey shopping mall fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Health minister Samanta Lal Sen said that the blaze broke out late on Thursday at a restaurant in the Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall, and quickly spread to other floors.
By Friday morning, at least 43 had died and 22 others were left with severe burns and were in a critical condition. They are being treated at two major health facilities.
Mr Sen said at 33 people, including women and children, were declared dead at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, while at least 10 others died after being taken to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
Pic: Reuters
The cause of the fire has not immediately been determined, but Brigadier General Main Uddin, Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence director, said it could have originated from a gas leak or stove.
He said: “It was a dangerous building with gas cylinders on every floor, even on the staircases.”
Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
The force director also added that more than a dozen firefighting units were deployed to douse the fire.
At least 75 people, including 42 who were unconscious, were rescued from the building, rescuers said.
This is a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to the victims and their families.
This is outrageous! Why were there not adequate fire safety measures in place?
It is important to note that building codes in Bangladesh often do not meet international standards, which may have contributed to the severity of this fire.
I wonder if corruption played a role in the lack of fire safety measures at this mall.
Oh, look, another tragedy in Bangladesh. Maybe they should focus less on building fancy shopping malls and more on ensuring the safety of their citizens.
I’m sure the government will do a thorough investigation and find that everything was perfectly up to code.
What do you call a shopping mall that catches fire? A hot mess!
It is important to remember that fires like this can happen anywhere, and we must all be vigilant about fire safety.