In the capital city of Bangladesh, a massive “earthquake-like” explosion at a seven-story building on Tuesday left at least 16 people dead, including two women, and over 100 others injured, according to police and locals.
Following the explosion at Old Dhaka’s busy Gulistan neighbourhood at 4:50 pm (local time), eleven firefighting units totaling 200 firemen were mobilised on the scene, according to the fire service control centre.
16 dead have been discovered (so far), but as the rescue effort continues, the number may increase, a fire department spokesman informed reporters.
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Although the origin of the explosion was not immediately established, locals believed that chemicals that were being illegally stored inside the building, which was primarily utilised as an office and business complex, may have ignited the explosion.
The bomb disposal team from the Rapid Action Battalion was dispatched right away to the scene to survey the structures.
The building’s ground level is home to a number of sanitary product shops, while the building next to it once housed a branch of the BRAC Bank.
According to reports, the explosion damaged a bus parked on the other side of the road in addition to shattering the bank’s glass walls.
The explosion happened two days after another exhibition at a structure in Dhaka’s Science Laboratory neighbourhood left three people dead and numerous others injured.
The southeasterly coastal city of Chattogram experienced an explosion last week that claimed the lives of seven individuals while injured hundreds more.