Dhaka fire: at least 78 dead in Bangladesh blaze

Blaze at apartments used for illegal chemical storage follows repeat calls for action by authorities

Bangladesh fire
Firefighters battled the blaze in the Chawkbazar district for nine hours before the flames were fully extinguished
(Image credit: Getty Images)

At least 78 people have been killed in a fire that tore through apartments also being used to store flammable chemicals in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, according to officials.

The blaze began at around 10:30pm local time on Wednesday in Chawkbazar, described by CNN as a historic district “with sprawling narrow streets and densely-packed buildings”.

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