A MAJOR FIRE HAS TAKEN HOLD ON THE UPPER STORIES of a 20-story shopping center in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, and has claimed the life of at least one firefighter.
The blaze broke out on the top floor of the high-rise commercial center and has been burning downward, encompassing at least six more floors, while being fanned by stiff winds in the area. The most recent update lists at least 30 injuries in addtion to the sole death.
As is typical of many Asian countries, fire protection measures in the building seem to be lacking. According to Xinjua News agency:
Brigadier General Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah, Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defense, blamed the lack of equipment for the delay of the rescue operation. He said they have only one 90-meter-high ladder while in today’s situation four such ladders are needed.
The members of the armed forces, police, elite force Rapid Action Battalion and village guards Ansar who are on duty at the airport in Dhaka have joined the rescue operation.
The huge shopping complex was built 5 years ago and houses 2,000 shops and cafes. The upper floors where the fire has started are mostly office space.
If there are standpipes or any other fire protection devices inside the building, they are evidently not being used efficiently as you will notice the obviously ineffective fire streams in use in this video report from CNN:
