Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Death toll in Dhaka high-rise blaze touches 19

DESPERATE workers leaped to their deaths as a huge fire tore through a Dhaka office block today (28), killing at least 19 people and trapping others in the latest major inferno to hit the Bangladesh capital.

Rescue workers warned the death toll could rise sharply as fire fighters recovered charred bodies from the complex where an unknown number of office workers were engulfed by intense smoke and flames.


At least six people died after jumping from the 22-floor building, officials said.

Dhaka police chief Asaduzzaman Mia told reporters at least 73 people were injured and being treated in hospitals across Dhaka.

People were seen screaming for help as hundreds of panicked onlookers crowded the streets of the upmarket Banani commercial district.

Some workers slid down a television cable on the side of the building. Others grabbed ropes lowered by emergency service helicopters which pulled them out of the blaze.

The inferno erupted barely a month after at least 70 people were killed in Dhaka apartment buildings where illegally stored chemicals exploded.

The latest disaster brought new scenes of horror amid fears that the toll would rise. More than 100 ambulances were parked in streets around the building.

Shoikot Rahman heard colleagues raise the alarm and ran to safety before smoke and flames engulfed the building.

"When I heard a fire broke out in the building, I quickly rushed out," he said. "Many of my colleagues are still trapped in the office."

Firefighters on long ladders smashed windows to create escape routes. More than one hour after the blaze erupted people could still be seen on the 13th and 14th floors desperately waving for help amid clouds of black smoke.

Army helicopters dangled ropes that victims grabbed so they could be lifted to safety, with crowds below cheering and applauding every time someone was rescued.

Three hospitals reported that six men and women had died or arrived with fatal injuries after jumping from the office block. They included a Sri Lankan man whose body was taken to the army's Kurmitola Hospital.

Dilkhosh Ahmed at the Banani Clinic said one of the victims had attempted to use the television cable to climb down, but slipped and fell around the eighth floor.

A seventh death from burns was recorded at the Dhaka Medical College hospital.

Helicopters were deployed to drop water on the blaze as scores of firefighters backed by navy and air force specialists struggled to bring it under control.

A top fire official said the flames had been stopped from spreading to adjoining buildings.

"Teams have entered the building and they are scouring the floors for any remaining victims. The building did not have fire fighting equipment," said Lieutenant Colonel Julfikar Rahman of the Dhaka fire service told reporters.

Rescue crews were soon discovering bodies and carrying them out one after the other in white bags.

Some workers told of risky escapes.

"My uncle and two more people jumped from their floor. His hand and leg are broken and his eye is damaged," one man said without giving his name.

A man who gave his name as Jico said he had been working on the 19th floor. "The fire started in a restaurant on the sixth floor. We ran to the roof as soon as we heard about it and then used a wooden plank to get over to the next building."

Fire disasters regularly hit Bangladesh's major cities where safety standards are notoriously lax.

A massive blaze in Dhaka's old quarter on February 21 killed at least 70 people and injured 50 others.

Fire service officials said chemicals illegally stored in an apartment building exploded and set alight five buildings and nearby streets. That blaze took more than 12 hours to control.

A June 2010 fire in the nearby neighbourhood of Nimtoli, one of the most densely populated districts of the capital, killed 123 people.

In November 2012, a fire swept through a nine-story garment factory near Dhaka killing 111 workers. An investigation found it was caused by sabotage and that managers at the plant had prevented victims from escaping.

Experts said inspections of buildings in the city frequently found fire stairs blocked with stored goods and exit doors locked.

(AFP)

More For You

JD-Vance-Getty

JD Vance Lands in India, Begins Four-Day Diplomatic Visit

getty image

JD Vance lands in India for his four-day visit

US VICE PRESIDENT JD Vance arrived in India on Monday for a four-day visit, during which he is scheduled to meet prime minister Narendra Modi. The visit comes as India looks to secure a trade deal with the US and avoid increased tariffs.

Vance's visit, which includes family engagements, will also see discussions with Modi. He is expected to review the progress made on issues agreed upon during Modi’s February meeting with US president Donald Trump in Washington, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian Media Group unveils first-ever Women of Colour Power List

(From left) Asian Media Group Executive Editor Shailesh Solanki, Chief Operating Officer Aditya Solanki and Managing Editor Kalpesh Solanki unveil inaugural “Women of Colour Power List 2025” at 2025 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show in New Orleans

Asian Media Group unveils first-ever Women of Colour Power List

ASIAN MEDIA GROUP USA, publisher of Asian Hospitality magazine, launched the first-ever “Women of Colour Power List 2025” at the 2025 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show in New Orleans, honouring 51 women reshaping the US hospitality industry.

The publication is the first to spotlight the achievements of women of colour, recognising their resilience, innovation, and leadership.

Keep ReadingShow less
pope-francis

The Pope had recently recovered from a serious case of double pneumonia.

Getty Images

Pope Francis dies at 88, Vatican announces

POPE FRANCIS, the first Latin American to lead the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced in a video statement on Monday.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell made the announcement on the Vatican’s TV channel. “Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” he said. “At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Vance, Modi talks to focus on 'US-India strategic ties'

JD Vance (R) with Narendra Modi. (Photo by LEAH MILLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Vance, Modi talks to focus on 'US-India strategic ties'

US vice president JD Vance will begin a four-day official visit to India on Monday (21), as part of efforts to strengthen economic, trade and strategic ties between the two countries. He will be accompanied by his wife Usha Vance, their three children, and top US officials.

The visit comes at a critical time, as the US and India aim to finalise a long-awaited bilateral trade agreement. Both sides are also looking to boost cooperation in defence, technology, and regional security amid ongoing tensions with China.

Keep ReadingShow less
Thousands rally in UK for trans rights after landmark ruling

Members of the public gather in Parliament Square with banners and placards as part of the Trans Liberation emergency Protest on April 19, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Montgomery/Getty Images)

Thousands rally in UK for trans rights after landmark ruling

THOUSANDS of people on Saturday (19) rallied in London and Edinburgh in support of trans rights, after a landmark UK court ruling on the definition of a "woman".

Supreme Court last Wednesday (16) ruled that the legal definition of a "woman" is based on a person's sex at birth, with potentially far-reaching consequences for how single-sex spaces and services are run.

Keep ReadingShow less