Bangladesh Blaze Rips Through Dhaka, Kills at Least 70

A fire tore through the capital of Bangladesh late Wednesday and left at least 70 people dead, The New York Times reports. The fire ignited in a mixed-use building in Dhaka, ripping through the centuries-old neighborhood of Chawkbazar while most residents were asleep. “Many of the recovered bodies are beyond recognition,” said Mahfuz Riben, an official of the Fire Service and Civil Defense. “Our people are using body bags to send them to the hospital morgue—this is a very difficult situation.” Fire officials said the death toll may rise as the search for survivors and bodies continues. Some witnesses said a compressed gas cylinder, which many people use for cooking, started the inferno. Chemicals stored in the shops on the building’s ground floor fed the flames, causing the fire to spread to adjacent structures.