| Firefighters extinguished a blaze in the basement of the Capital Siraj Center shopping mall on Bailey Road, Dhaka, at 7:47 pm on Monday, May 5, after a one-hour battle.
Nine Fire Service and Civil Defence units responded to the fire, reported at 6:47 pm, rescuing 18 people alive from the building’s roof, said Duty Officer Khaleda Yasmin.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The incident echoes the tragic February 29, 2024, fire at Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall on Bailey Road, where a gas cylinder-fueled blaze at Kacchi Bhai restaurant killed 46, exacerbated by smoke-filled staircases and safety lapses.
This latest fire amplifies concerns over recurring fire hazards and Dhaka’s congested roads, which delayed initial response efforts.
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