The death toll from a fire that broke out at a seven-storey residential building in Uttara, Dhaka, has risen to six.
Among the deceased are three members of the same family, including a husband, wife and their child, said Uttara West Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rafiq Ahmed.
The incident occurred at a building located on Road No 18 in Sector 11 of Uttara.
According to police and hospital sources, the identities of four of the deceased have so far been confirmed.
They are Fazle Rabbi, 38, Md Hares, 52, Rahab, 17 and Afroza, 37.
Preliminary information suggests that Fazle Rabbi and his family members had been living as tenants on the fifth floor of the building.
Following the fire, the victims suffered from severe smoke inhalation and burn injuries. They were taken to hospitals, where they later succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment.
The incident occurred at around 7:50am on Friday. Two units from Uttara Fire Station arrived at the scene at 7:58am and began efforts to control the flames. Firefighters brought the fire under control at 8:25am.
The fire was fully extinguished at around 10am.
Talha Bin Jasim, an official of the Fire Service’s Public Relations Department, said that Fire Service units reached the building within eight minutes of receiving information about the fire.
The blaze broke out on the second floor of the seven-storey building. During the fire, 13 people who were trapped inside the building were rescued and taken to Kuwait Maitree Hospital, among whom the death toll later increased.
The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed. Police and the Fire Service are jointly investigating the incident.
Explaining the high number of casualties, Talha Bin Jasim said the apartment contained a large amount of furniture, which caught fire quickly and caused the flames to spread rapidly.