44 killed in Dhaka apartment fire

Feb. 29 (UPI) -- At least 44 people were killed in a fire that tore through a seven-story apartment building in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka overnight, authorities said.

The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense said in a statement that it was notified of the fire on Bailey Road at about 9:50 p.m. Thursday, and 13 dispatched units of firefighters getting the blaze under control shortly before midnight Friday.

Responders were able to rescue 75 people, 42 unconscious, from the building, it said.

Video of the rescue operation posted on Facebook by the service shows people in the building jumping over the rail of a balcony on the top floor into a fire truck's extended basket.

Firefighters told the local Dhaka Tribune that most of the deaths were caused by people jumping from the building, burns and suffocation.

Fire officials described the fire as a fast-moving blaze aided by gas cylinders on several of the floors where there were restaurants.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Apartment fires are not uncommon in Bangladesh in general and are an even bigger problem in congested Dhaka due to lax regulations and the use of gas cylinders for cooking.

In July 2021, 52 people were killed in a fire that erupted at a Dhaka industrial building that housed multiple factories.

In February 2019, more than 70 people were killed in a fire that engulfed several buildings in the Bangladeshi capital.