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Another Deadly Building Fire Rages in Bangladesh Capital

by VOA News

   At least 17 people have been killed by a fire in a high-rise office
   building in the Bangladesh capital.

   Several people jumped from the windows of the 19-story building in
   Dhaka's commercial district of Banani to escape Thursday's inferno.
   Dozens of firefighting units were dispatched to battle the blaze, along
   with a number of firefighting helicopters that dropped water on the
   fire from above.

   Helicopters also aided rescue attempts, dangling ropes for people on
   the roof to grab onto and fly to safety.

   At least 70 people have been injured. People were still trapped in the
   building several hours after the fire started.

   Numerous residents have been killed in building fires in Dhaka over the
   years due to lax safety regulations and enforcement. At least 70 people
   were killed when a massive fire burned several residential buildings in
   a historic section of Dhaka last month.

   The buildings also were used as warehouses that stored chemicals,
   plastics and other combustible materials.

   A similar fire in 2010 killed more than 120 people in one of the city's
   worst fire-related disasters.