Bangladesh: Explosion in Dhaka building leaves more than 17 dead, over 100 injured

The death toll due to a strong 'quake like' blast on March 7 at a seven-story working in Bangladesh's capital city Dhaka climbed to 17 with more than 100 injured. 

After the blast, which occurred around 4.50 p.m. in the crowded Gulistan area of Old Dhaka, eleven firefighting units with 200 firefighters were deployed at the scene.

There have already been two women killed in the explosion, and the death toll is expected to rise. A bus that was parked on the opposite side of the building was also damaged by the explosion.

As rescue efforts continue, seventeen bodies have been removed from the scene. Although the cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, residents of the area believe that the blast may have been caused by illegally stored chemicals within the building, which is mostly used as an office and business complex.

A number of people are trapped beneath the building's rubble. Speaking to reporters at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, the country's Health Minister, Zahid Maleque, stated that the majority of the deaths were the result of excessive bleeding.

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