A fire has broken out at the multistoried 'FR Tower' at the capital’s Banani on Thursday (Mar 28).
The fire originated on the 9th floor of the building located at Banani’s road no 17 at 12:55 pm, Fire Service and Civil Defence Control Room Officer Enyaetullah told Bangla Tribune.
He said that 22 firefighting units have been dispatched to the scene to douse the flames.
Belayet Hossain, a properties office employee on the 14th floor of the building said in a TV interview that he tried to get down once he received news of the fire but couldn’t as the staircase was engulfed in smoke by then.
“I then went to the roof and crossed to the adjacent 'Awal Centre' building and then got down,” he said.
He added that he was able to do this as he was former air force officer but there were three others on the roof who couldn’t cross over to the adjacent buildings.
Several people trapped inside the buildings have taken shelter on the roof and are trying to escape into the neighbouring buildings.
Many of them are trying to escape through the rooftops or trying to get down by climbing down wires while several of those still trapped inside are calling for help through the broken glasses in the buildings.
Rescue efforts were underway to bring them down with the help of crane ladder.
Around six ambulances have been brought to provide immediate treatment to those who have been injured.
Traffic movement has been halted in the surrounding areas and city corporation vehicles are being used to transport water.
Meanwhile, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director Lt Col Abdullah Ibn Zaid said that Air Force helicopters were working to put the fire out.
Army and Navy units have also reached the scene, he added.
Akram Hossain, a rescuer told Bangla Tribune that a woman slipped and fell when she was trying to escape from the eighth floor.
“Two more men fell after that. I rescued the three of them myself. The woman’s body is completely covered in shards of glass,” Hossain said.
A woman stuck inside the building wrote on Facebook: “Please arrange for us to be sent to the staircase. The smoke will suffocate us otherwise.”
One Shajuti Swarna posted the video saying that they were trapped inside.
