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61 dead, 100 injured in Bangladesh blaze: fire department

03 June 2010 21:37 (UTC +04:00)

The massive blaze raced through a row of multi-storey apartment buildings, trapping hundreds of residents in Kayettuli, one of Dhakaâ€™s most densely populated areas, fire department chief Abu Nayeem said.
"So far we have pulled 61 dead bodies out. But more are inside and the toll will rise," he told AFP, adding that the fire had been caused by an electrical fault and spread before fire fighters could access the area.
"At least seven building have been engulfed by the fire. There were shops selling chemicals on the ground floor, which were caught by the fire as it spread very quickly," he said.
"The temperature and fumes became unbearable because of the chemicals," he said, adding that a bakery with several large gas burners had also caught fire.
Hundreds of people were trapped in burning buildings for hours as rescue workers struggled to contain the blaze, their work hampered by the narrow lanes of the crowded residential area.
Shahidul Bari, a specialist at Dhaka Medical College Hospitalâ€™s burns unit, said 12 bodies had been received at the morgue soon after the fire began. Another 100 people had been admitted with severe burns and smoke inhalation.
"Our unit is full and more patients are pouring in. Itâ€™s a disaster of huge proportion," Bari said.