Dhaka fire leaves 81 people dead

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/.The death toll in the fire in the four-storey residential house in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka has reached 81, the Bangladesh Observer newspaper reported.

Earlier reports said 69 people died in the fire. According to Reuters, at least 50 people were hospitalized, some of them remain in critical condition.

The fire in the residential building broke out at 10:30pm local time (7:30pm Moscow time), later spreading to four neighboring structures. According to Xinhua, the fire started after a gas explosion in the house.

AFP reported that the building was also used as a warehouse for chemicals.