At least 43 people have tragically lost their lives in a devastating fire that swept through a multi-storey building in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. The fire reportedly broke out in a restaurant in the building at around 22:00 local time on Thursday, leading to a chaotic scene as people tried to escape the rapidly spreading flames.

According to reports, seventy-five people were rescued from the building, many of whom were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen confirmed that 33 people had died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, while 10 others lost their lives at the main burns hospital.

The fire was eventually brought under control after two hours, but the cause of the inferno is still under investigation. The building where the fire occurred housed not only a restaurant but also other businesses such as clothing and mobile phone shops.

Unfortunately, fires in commercial and residential buildings are all too common in Bangladesh, often due to poor safety awareness and inadequate fire prevention measures. The head of the Bangladesh Fire Service suggested that the fire may have been sparked by a gas leak or stove.

Survivors of the fire described scenes of chaos and panic, with some using a water pipe to climb down the building while others were forced to jump from upper floors to escape the blaze. One survivor, Mohammad Altaf, recounted how two of his colleagues who were helping people escape ultimately perished in the fire.

Our thoughts go out to the victims of this tragic fire and their families. As investigations into the cause continue, it is clear that more must be done to improve fire safety measures and prevent such devastating incidents from occurring in the future.