A fire swept through Bangladeshs largest shopping mall on Friday killing a fireman and leaving dozens of people trapped, police and witnesses said. Atleast 30 people were injured in the fire that engulfed the top floor of the 21-storey building in the capital Dhaka, a police officer said.
Thick smoke rose over the building and flames could be seen on the upper floors, a witness said. Army helicopters were trying to rescue people from the rooftop of the building. "One of the fire-fighters who was admitted here with serious injuries has died," said a doctor at a private hospital. "We are treating nearly 30 more people for burn injuries," he said. Witnesses said several more people were rushed to other hospitals.
"The fire broke out on the top floor and soon engulfed the other floors," a fire brigade official said. Television pictures showed the blaze spreading through five or six upper floors. "The fire is still spreading because of the wind," a fire fighter said as members of the Rapid Action Battalion elite force and the army arrived to help put the blaze out.