Banani high-rise fire deaths rise to 19

At least 19 people have been killed and dozens injured in a fire at a high-rise office building in Dhaka’s Banani.

Thirteen bodies were found inside the 22-storey FR Tower on Kamal Ataturk Avenue after the fire was doused following four hours of efforts on Thursday afternoon, the Fire Service and Civil Defence said.

A control room set up at the scene told the media in the evening that the fire crews were still searching the building for survivors.

The death toll may go up as there were “some more” bodies inside the building, Debashish Bardhan, a fire service deputy director, told Media.

Some of the dead victims were burned or suffocated while the others, including a Sri Lankan citizen, jumped off to death.

The fire service put the number of injured at 76.

The authorities said six more bodies were found, pushing the death toll to 25, but later revised down the number. The bodies were sent from one hospital to another but might have gotten counted, officials said.

Relatives crying for dear ones as many were trapped inside the FR Tower in Dhaka’s Banani during a fire incident on Thursday. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove Earlier, officials said at least seven people died in the incident. Five of them died after jumping off the building in a desperate bid to escape the blaze. About 50 people were hospitalised after being injured in the incident.

The building with the holding no. 32 houses offices of a number of garment buying houses and internet service providers.

Asif Mahmud Ove The fire broke out sometime after 12 pm when all the people were in a hurry to finish work before lunch on the last working day of the week. Fire service official Ershad Hossain said 13 units rushed to the site after the fire was reported at 12:52 pm. Twelve more units joined in later.

The fire service announced around 4:45 pm that the fire was under control.

Flames could still be seen on some floors of the building as smoke continued billowing from different parts.