Fire erupts at building housing Chinese nationals in Dhaka's Baridhara

The incident occurred early on Sunday in the capital’s diplomatic zone

A fire has broken out at an apartment building in the capital's Baridhara diplomatic zone.

The incident occurred at 1am on Sunday and was brought under control quickly, according to the Fire Service.

The five-storey building where the fire started is located on Road 13, said Sayeed Monirul Islam, senior station officer at the Gulshan Fire Service Station. It sparked in a bedroom on the fifth floor.

It did not spread far due to the prompt response of the Fire Service, he said.

“Our initial suspicion is the fire started from an electric device.”

The Fire Service quickly arrived at the scene and rescued two people in healthy condition, Monirul said. The residents of the other apartments had already evacuated safely.

The owner of the building is a Bangladeshi national. Chinese nationals working on various projects live on several floors of the building.

A bar and restaurant is located on the roof of the building and an initial investigation suggests it was built illegally, Monirul added.