Dhaka: A huge fire broke out at a multi-storey building at Kamal Ataturk Avenue in the city’s Banani area on Thursday.

The fire broke out around 12:45 pm on the fifth floor of the FR Tower, said an official at Fire Service and Civil Defence control room.

Many people are believed to have got trapped in the burning building while an unspecified number of panicked people suffered injuries as they jumped off its different floors for safety, reports the UNB.

Fire service officials feared that the fire may engulf the adjoining buildings if it cannot be doused quickly.

Residents of the adjoining buildings have left their flats fearing danger as huge black fumes are coming out of the building.  

Many of the injured were taken to Kurmitola General Hospital.

Seven firefighting units rushed in and are trying to extinguish the blaze till filing of this report around 2:33pm.

Two helicopters of Air Force have joined the operation to assist the firefighters.

However, it is still not clear what caused the fire.

Besides, fire service members rescued 20 people from adjoining ‘Ahmed Tower’ by breaking its grills, according to a witnesses account.

Many people were also rescued by breaking the glasses of the burning building.

Witnesses said many of the trapped people took shelter on the rooftop of the building in their efforts to save themselves from the blaze.