Firefighters had brought the blaze at Bashundhara City shopping mall under control after ten-and-a-half hours of frantic effort.
At a press briefing at 9pm Sunday, Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Ali Ahmed Khan said the fire was mostly doused by 8:50pm. Fire Service was dumping the burned waste from the building.
The fire erupted on level 6 of the shopping centre around 11:23am on Sunday. A total of 29 firefighting units worked to douse the flames.
More than 100 shops were on that floor of the mall and 70% of them have been partially or fully damaged, he said.
At 10:15pm flames briefly erupted again at the back of the building. A firefighting unit arrived at the scene around 11pm and brought the flames under control by midnight.
After this brief firefight, the director general told reporters the sudden flames were expected as firefighters worked through the building, going into individual shops and dumping burnt material. But the fire was under control, he assured.
"We will be working through the night until we can ensure that all the fire has been extinguished," he said.
Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
The cause of the fire could not be confirmed yet.
DG Ali Ahmed said firefighters have rescued some 15-20 people who were trapped on level 6.
Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy Director Mizanur Rahman said: "We rescued a total of 19 people from two rooftop around 4:14pm. They had taken shelter on the rooftop in panic."
Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq went to the spot in the afternoon.
He announced at that time that a city engineering team was on stand by to aid the Fire Service if needed and a helicopter could also be lent for the rescue of people trapped on the roof. He also said he would be sitting down with the mall owners to find out why so many fires take place there.
Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
Witnesses said smoke is still seen coming out of the level 6 of the shopping complex and it has engulfed the surrounding areas.
The fire is yet to be doused, said Jasim Uddin, head of Bashundhara City marketing department. Some 11 people were rescued from the rooftop of the building and there is no people trapped in the rooftop, he said.
Fire service sources said a total of 19 people including three women were rescued from the shopping mall.
While visiting the spot, Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Sheikh Maruf Hasan said: “We have not got any report of casualties so far but a lot of people are stuck on the terrace. Police have been asked to see that the work of the firefighters are not disrupted due to the crowd.”
The in-charge of Basundhara city, TIM Latiful Hossain said probably it would not be possible to reopen the market before Wednesday. They would consult the authorities on this matter.
He said there was no negligence on their part in bringing the fire under control. However, seven to eight shops in the C-block on level-6 have been completely damaged among nearly 100 shops that have been affected by the fire, he added.
The president of the shop owners association of the mall, MA Hannan Azad, urged shop owners not to worry as they would sit with the authorities about the compensation.
He said the fire service did everything to douse the fire as soon as possible.
Din Mohammad, owner of mobile shop Phone Land, said: “The fire originated from a shoe shop in Block C of the sixth floor around 11:30am. We thought it would be brought under control but later the fire rangers of Banshundhara City made an announcement and asked us to evacuate the mall.
General Manager of Banshundhara City (HR and Admin) Major (rtd) Mostafa Rahen Emam told the Dhaka Tribune: “The fire originated from a shoe and leather shop on level sixth. Our fire fighters brought the blaze under control soon after the fire broke out but there is a lot of smoke due to the presence of leather in the shop from where the fire originated.”
Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
He said there are 1800 shops in the mall.
On March 13, 2009, at least seven people were killed and 20 others injured in the raging blaze that broke out at the capital’s Bashundhara City complex.