A devastating fire erupted in a high-rise building in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka late Thursday, killing at least 44 people, the country's health ministry said on Friday, Reuters reports.
The fire broke out at around 21:50 local time in Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall and and lasted until around 23:30 when the firefighting teams finally extinguished the blaze.
Around 75 people, including dozens in an unconscious state, were pulled out and were rushed to several hospitals.
Staff collecting evidence at the scene said the immediate cause of the fire was unknown.
"It's maybe a short circuit. It's maybe gases. More hotels are here. So we cannot [make] assumption what is the actual [cause] of fire of course," said Mizanur Rahman, an investigator.
An eyewitness revealed the safety hazard in the seven-storey structure, stating there is only one stairway in the densely-populated building with restaurants on every floor.
"There's only one stair(way), and there are lots of gas cylinders in the stairs also. That was not so much safe as like before," said a resident Ayon.
