A high-rise commercial building in the Bangladeshi capital where a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-fire-death-toll-rises-to-25-officials-206416"> blaze this week killed at least 25 people</a> lacked proper fire exits, government officials said, prompting a senior minister to describe the incident as "murder".

Lax regulations and poor enforcement have often been blamed for several large fires in the south Asian nation that have led to hundreds of deaths in recent years, at least 96 since last month.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of Thursday`s fire, in which at least seven people, including a Sri Lankan, died after jumping off the 22-storey structure in one of the world`s most densely congested cities.&nbsp;

"There were no proper fire exits in the building that houses many offices and several restaurants," Julfikar Rahman, director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, told Reuters.

"It the building had proper fire exits, people would have been able to come out. There was little fire-fighting equipment in the building and it was not in working condition."

At just two feet (0.6 m) and four feet (1.2 m) wide, the building`s two exits were too narrow for people inside to leave smoothly, and were blocked by obstructions that made the task harder, he added.

Reuters could not ascertain who owns the building, and a telephone number for the purported owner was switched off.

The Dhaka development authority said it was investigating how the owner, who had permission only to build 18 stories, managed to extend them to 22.

"It`s not an accident, it`s murder," Public Works and Housing Minister Rezaul Karim told reporters after visiting the site, where firefighters combed through the ashes.

"Legal action will be taken against those responsible for violating the building code, no matter how powerful they are."

Helicopters had joined 22 firefighting units in battling the fire, along with police and armed forces, as some of those trapped in the building waved desperately for help from its windows and roof.

The blaze comes a month after an inferno killed 71 people in an old neighbourhood of the city.&nbsp;

A high-rise commercial building in the Bangladeshi capital where a blaze this week killed at least 25 people lacked proper fire exits, government officials said, prompting a senior minister to describe the incident as "murder".

A high-rise commercial building in the Bangladeshi capital where a blaze this week killed at least 25 people lacked proper fire exits, government officials said, prompting a senior minister to describe the incident as "murder". Lax regulations and poor enforcement have often been blamed for several large fires in the south Asian nation that have led to hundreds of deaths in recent years, at least 96 since last month. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of Thursday`s fire, in which at least seven people, including a Sri Lankan, died after jumping off the 22-storey structure in one of the world`s most densely congested cities. "There were no proper fire exits in the building that houses many offices and several restaurants," Julfikar Rahman, director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, told Reuters. "It the building had proper fire exits, people would have been able to come out. There was little fire-fighting equipment in the building and it was not in working condition." At just two feet (0.6 m) and four feet (1.2 m) wide, the building`s two exits were too narrow for people inside to leave smoothly, and were blocked by obstructions that made the task harder, he added. Reuters could not ascertain who owns the building, and a telephone number for the purported owner was switched off. The Dhaka development authority said it was investigating how the owner, who had permission only to build 18 stories, managed to extend them to 22. "It`s not an accident, it`s murder," Public Works and Housing Minister Rezaul Karim told reporters after visiting the site, where firefighters combed through the ashes. "Legal action will be taken against those responsible for violating the building code, no matter how powerful they are." Helicopters had joined 22 firefighting units in battling the fire, along with police and armed forces, as some of those trapped in the building waved desperately for help from its windows and roof. The blaze comes a month after an inferno killed 71 people in an old neighbourhood of the city.

Bangladesh high-rise hit by deadly blaze lacked proper fire exits: Official

Flames raced up scaffolding at a Sydney building site on Thursday, in a morning rush-hour fire that prompted the evacuation of nearby offices and caused downtown traffic gridlock.

"The flames really started to leap," lawyer Doug Thompson who photographed the fire from across the street, told Reuters by text.&nbsp"Once it was off, it was away."

Pictures and video circulated online showed bright orange flames, briefly rising six storeys high, consuming plastic covering that wrapped the scaffolds in front of the office building on Macquarie St.

The fire took hold around 8 am (2200 GMT on Wednesday), as office workers were making their way into the city.

The building is being renovated and it was not immediately clear if there were any office or renovation workers inside when the fire took hold. No injuries were reported.

A dozen firetrucks arrived and together with police blocked off the street before firefighters extinguished the blaze.

"The fire is out," fire and rescue service official Norman Buckley told reporters, adding that the cause was being investigated. 
&nbsp

A dozen firetrucks arrived and together with police blocked off the street before firefighters extinguished the blaze

Flames raced up scaffolding at a Sydney building site on Thursday, in a morning rush-hour fire that prompted the evacuation of nearby offices and caused downtown traffic gridlock. "The flames really started to leap," lawyer Doug Thompson who photographed the fire from across the street, told Reuters by text. "Once it was off, it was away." Pictures and video circulated online showed bright orange flames, briefly rising six storeys high, consuming plastic covering that wrapped the scaffolds in front of the office building on Macquarie St. The fire took hold around 8 am (2200 GMT on Wednesday), as office workers were making their way into the city. The building is being renovated and it was not immediately clear if there were any office or renovation workers inside when the fire took hold. No injuries were reported. A dozen firetrucks arrived and together with police blocked off the street before firefighters extinguished the blaze. "The fire is out," fire and rescue service official Norman Buckley told reporters, adding that the cause was being investigated.

Spectacular blaze engulfs office building in Australia's Sydney

An Indonesia hospital in Aceh struggled to treat dozens of burn victims from a fire at an illegal oil well that killed at least 18 on Wednesday (April 25) as they scrambled to collect oil after the well overflowed, authorities said.

Firefighters struggled all day to put out the blaze in the northwestern province of Aceh and were still working as darkness fell.

Dozens of people suffering from burns were taken to hospital in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, several hours away from where the accident happened.

Pertamina, which has operations in the area, was providing equipment to help fight the fire. At least eight fire trucks had been deployed to try to douse the blaze. The head of police in the area said the fire might have been sparked by a careless smoker.

Flames towered over houses and trees as firefighters hosed down the area while villagers watched, in pictures posted on social media by Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman of Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency.

"There was panic among the public because the fire is in a residential area," said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.&nbsp

The fire broke out in the east Aceh district in the early hours of Wednesday, after a well of depth 250 metres (820 ft) overflowed and residents gathered to collect the oil, the agency added.

The head of police in east Aceh said the oil well might have been drilled illegally and the fire might have been started when someone was smoking a cigarette.

"This is illegal drilling," said Roberth MV Dumatubun, a spokesman for at PT Pertamina EP, a subsidiary of state oil firm Pertamina.

"It was a well made and managed by the residents there. Incidents like these are likely to happen because they don't pay attention to elements like safety."

&nbsp

Firefighters struggled all day to put out the blaze in the northwestern province of Aceh and were still working as darkness fell

An Indonesia hospital in Aceh struggled to treat dozens of burn victims from a fire at an illegal oil well that killed at least 18 on Wednesday (April 25) as they scrambled to collect oil after the well overflowed, authorities said. Firefighters struggled all day to put out the blaze in the northwestern province of Aceh and were still working as darkness fell. Dozens of people suffering from burns were taken to hospital in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, several hours away from where the accident happened. Pertamina, which has operations in the area, was providing equipment to help fight the fire. At least eight fire trucks had been deployed to try to douse the blaze. The head of police in the area said the fire might have been sparked by a careless smoker. Flames towered over houses and trees as firefighters hosed down the area while villagers watched, in pictures posted on social media by Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman of Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency. "There was panic among the public because the fire is in a residential area," said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. The fire broke out in the east Aceh district in the early hours of Wednesday, after a well of depth 250 metres (820 ft) overflowed and residents gathered to collect the oil, the agency added. The head of police in east Aceh said the oil well might have been drilled illegally and the fire might have been started when someone was smoking a cigarette. "This is illegal drilling," said Roberth MV Dumatubun, a spokesman for at PT Pertamina EP, a subsidiary of state oil firm Pertamina. "It was a well made and managed by the residents there. Incidents like these are likely to happen because they don't pay attention to elements like safety."

Watch: Indonesian hospital struggles to treat victims of deadly oil well blaze

A fire allegedly set during an attempted jailbreak from Venezuelan police holding cells killed 68 people on Wednesday, the country's top prosecutor and an inmates' rights group said.

The blaze at the detention facility in Carabobo state is the latest in a series of deadly incidents in Venezuela's overcrowded jails.

"In light of the terrible events that took place in the Carabobo state police headquarters, where 68 people died in a presumed fire, we have appointed four prosecutors... to clarify these dramatic events," chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab said on Twitter.

Carlos Nieto, head of Una Ventana a la Libertad (A Window on Freedom), said that "some burned to death and others asphyxiated" after setting fire to mattresses and stealing a guard's gun in an attempt to break out.

The dead included two women thought to have been visiting the jail at the time of the incident, Nieto said.

Rafael Lacava, the governor of Carabobo state, expressed his "consternation" over the events but did not provide a toll.

"A serious and profound investigation has been initiated to find the causes and those responsible for these regrettable events," he said on Twitter, expressing solidarity with relatives of those who died.

Relatives of those being kept in the detention centre tried to force their way into Carabobo state police headquarters. After one officer was injured by a stone, the crowd was dispersed by police firing tear gas.

A video posted on Twitter showed dozens of people demanding information in front of police guarding the site.

"I am a desperate mother. My son has been here a week. They have not given any information," Dora Blanco told local media.

Venezuela's prisons suffer from dire overcrowding and a shortage of basic supplies, struggling under the deepening economic crisis that is gripping the once-wealthy oil-producing country.

Because of the lack of space in penitentiaries, convicts are often sent to police holding cells like the ones in Carabobo, meant to be used as temporary pens for suspects facing charges or court hearings, where detainees are supposed to spend a maximum of 48 hours.

Nieto's association estimated that the temporary detention centres were overfilled by five times their capacity.

"All the police stations in Venezuela are facing similar or worse conditions of overcrowding, lack of food and disease," he said.

The association said 65 people died last year in the holding cells due to violence, malnutrition or tuberculosis.

Two weeks ago, 58 detainees escaped holding cells on Margarita Island, a favoured tourist spot, when a hole opened up in their facility's wall. They were all soon recaptured.

In August 2017, a riot left 37 dead and 14 wounded in police cells in the southern state of Amazonas, while an April 2017 clash between rival gangs left 12 dead and 11 injured in the Puente Ayala prison in the eastern city of Barcelona.

A month before that, the remains of 14 people were found in a mass grave in the General Penitentiary of Venezuela, in San Juan de Los Morros in the country's centre.

The dead included two women thought to have been visiting the jail at the time of the incident

A fire allegedly set during an attempted jailbreak from Venezuelan police holding cells killed 68 people on Wednesday, the country's top prosecutor and an inmates' rights group said. The blaze at the detention facility in Carabobo state is the latest in a series of deadly incidents in Venezuela's overcrowded jails. "In light of the terrible events that took place in the Carabobo state police headquarters, where 68 people died in a presumed fire, we have appointed four prosecutors... to clarify these dramatic events," chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab said on Twitter. Carlos Nieto, head of Una Ventana a la Libertad (A Window on Freedom), said that "some burned to death and others asphyxiated" after setting fire to mattresses and stealing a guard's gun in an attempt to break out. The dead included two women thought to have been visiting the jail at the time of the incident, Nieto said. Rafael Lacava, the governor of Carabobo state, expressed his "consternation" over the events but did not provide a toll. "A serious and profound investigation has been initiated to find the causes and those responsible for these regrettable events," he said on Twitter, expressing solidarity with relatives of those who died. Relatives of those being kept in the detention centre tried to force their way into Carabobo state police headquarters. After one officer was injured by a stone, the crowd was dispersed by police firing tear gas. A video posted on Twitter showed dozens of people demanding information in front of police guarding the site. "I am a desperate mother. My son has been here a week. They have not given any information," Dora Blanco told local media. Venezuela's prisons suffer from dire overcrowding and a shortage of basic supplies, struggling under the deepening economic crisis that is gripping the once-wealthy oil-producing country. Because of the lack of space in penitentiaries, convicts are often sent to police holding cells like the ones in Carabobo, meant to be used as temporary pens for suspects facing charges or court hearings, where detainees are supposed to spend a maximum of 48 hours. Nieto's association estimated that the temporary detention centres were overfilled by five times their capacity. "All the police stations in Venezuela are facing similar or worse conditions of overcrowding, lack of food and disease," he said. The association said 65 people died last year in the holding cells due to violence, malnutrition or tuberculosis. Two weeks ago, 58 detainees escaped holding cells on Margarita Island, a favoured tourist spot, when a hole opened up in their facility's wall. They were all soon recaptured. In August 2017, a riot left 37 dead and 14 wounded in police cells in the southern state of Amazonas, while an April 2017 clash between rival gangs left 12 dead and 11 injured in the Puente Ayala prison in the eastern city of Barcelona. A month before that, the remains of 14 people were found in a mass grave in the General Penitentiary of Venezuela, in San Juan de Los Morros in the country's centre.

Venezuela jailbreak attempt sparks fire, 68 dead

France has mobilised 1500 firefighters to deal with wildfires in countryside North of Marseille that have gutted buildings and forced more than 1000 people to flee their homes. 
 
Whipped up by strong winds, the blaze took hold around 3:30 pm (local time) and has spread over 2260 hectares (5600 acres) of scrubland, grass and some wooded areas, according to firefighters. 
 
&quot;We haven&#39;t seen a situation like this for a very long time,&quot; the fire service said, first calling the wildfires &quot;out of control&quot; but later describing more favourable conditions in the night. 
 
Homes were destroyed in the town of Vitrolles, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) North of Marseille, with more than 1,000 people forced to seek shelter in local sports centres. 
 
Dramatic images showed a helicopter battling to douse a blazing hillside with water just metres from a motorway close to Vitrolles, while one person was seriously injured in nearby Rognac. 
 
The blaze, which comes after low rainfall in winter and spring left southeast France extremely dry, sent a huge pall of smoke into the sky over the port city of Marseille. 
 
&quot;The fire seems to be less intense than before but is not yet under control,&quot; Marseille mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin said in a tweet. 
Further west in Herault, four firefighters were injured battling another blaze when their vehicle was surrounded by the flames. 
 
Hundreds of extra firefighters have been drafted in from elsewhere in France to tackle the blaze. 
 
Road and air transport were badly affected by the fire yesterday evening, with two motorways closed and some flights cancelled at Marseille airport.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

Hundreds of extra firefighters have been drafted in from elsewhere in France to tackle the blaze

France has mobilised 1500 firefighters to deal with wildfires in countryside North of Marseille that have gutted buildings and forced more than 1000 people to flee their homes. Whipped up by strong winds, the blaze took hold around 3:30 pm (local time) and has spread over 2260 hectares (5600 acres) of scrubland, grass and some wooded areas, according to firefighters. "We haven't seen a situation like this for a very long time," the fire service said, first calling the wildfires "out of control" but later describing more favourable conditions in the night. Homes were destroyed in the town of Vitrolles, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) North of Marseille, with more than 1,000 people forced to seek shelter in local sports centres. Dramatic images showed a helicopter battling to douse a blazing hillside with water just metres from a motorway close to Vitrolles, while one person was seriously injured in nearby Rognac. The blaze, which comes after low rainfall in winter and spring left southeast France extremely dry, sent a huge pall of smoke into the sky over the port city of Marseille. "The fire seems to be less intense than before but is not yet under control," Marseille mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin said in a tweet. Further west in Herault, four firefighters were injured battling another blaze when their vehicle was surrounded by the flames. Hundreds of extra firefighters have been drafted in from elsewhere in France to tackle the blaze. Road and air transport were badly affected by the fire yesterday evening, with two motorways closed and some flights cancelled at Marseille airport. (PTI)

Southern France battles bush fires, more than 1,000 evacuated

More than 3,000 vacationers were evacuated after a blaze threatened to spread across four campsites in the south of France, as a fireman died on his way to the scene, officials said. 
 
Strong winds whipped up the flames in Torreilles, Pyrenees-Orientales, where thousands of French and other European tourists were staying, with 22 bungalows completely destroyed. 
 
&quot;We saw smoke...the people from the campsite asked us to leave straight away and leave our cars behind us,&quot; said one retired holidaymaker. 
 
The fireman travelling to the site lost control of his vehicle due to an unexplained engine fault and died at the scene. 
&nbsp; 
Three volunteer firefighters in the fire-engine with him were rushed to hospital in a critical condition, local official Helene Girardot told AFP. 
 
A further 17 firefighters suffered from smoke inhalation and two others were injured when one of the campers gas canisters exploded as they battled the flames. 
 
All but a handful of families were able to return to their camps by nightfall. 
 
(AFP)

Strong winds whipped up the flames in Torreilles, Pyrenees-Orientales, where thousands of French and other European tourists were staying, with 22 bungalows completely destroyed

More than 3,000 vacationers were evacuated after a blaze threatened to spread across four campsites in the south of France, as a fireman died on his way to the scene, officials said. Strong winds whipped up the flames in Torreilles, Pyrenees-Orientales, where thousands of French and other European tourists were staying, with 22 bungalows completely destroyed. "We saw smoke...the people from the campsite asked us to leave straight away and leave our cars behind us," said one retired holidaymaker. The fireman travelling to the site lost control of his vehicle due to an unexplained engine fault and died at the scene. Three volunteer firefighters in the fire-engine with him were rushed to hospital in a critical condition, local official Helene Girardot told AFP. A further 17 firefighters suffered from smoke inhalation and two others were injured when one of the campers gas canisters exploded as they battled the flames. All but a handful of families were able to return to their camps by nightfall. (AFP)

3,000 campers evacuated in French blaze, fireman dead

A stubborn wildfire stoked by triple-digit temperatures raged for a sixth day outside Santa Barbara in coastal Southern California on Monday as crews worked to keep the blaze some have called a &quot;sleeping giant&quot; in check, officials said. 
 
So far, the so-called Sherpa Fire burning in chaparral and tall grass about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Santa Barbara has led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents from ranches and campgrounds in the hilly area. 
 
Authorities said they expected to begin allowing homeowners and farm laborers back into those areas on Wednesday, though county health and environment officials issued an air quality warning for smoke and falling ash from the fire. 
 
The tally of acreage burned held at nearly 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) since late Sunday, said Jim Schwarber, a spokesman for the multi-agency team combating the blaze. 
 
The fire, which broke out last Wednesday in the Los Padres National Forest and was 54 per cent contained by Monday, has been called a sleeping giant due to the triple-digit temperatures and dense, bone-dry brush in the area that has not burned in decades, he said. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re working hard to keep that giant contained so it doesn&#39;t wake up,&quot; Schwarber said. 
 
So far, the blaze has destroyed only one building - a water-treatment center at a campground, he said. 
 
But it has threatened more than 200 structures and forced officials to close the 101 Freeway near the Pacific Coast periodically as flames crept to within less than a mile of the shore. 
 
More than 1,900 firefighters were assigned to the blaze. 
 
&quot;Red flag warnings&quot; were also posted for the mountains around Los Angeles on Monday as two fires erupted in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest north of the city. 
 
One blaze, dubbed the Reservoir Fire, had consumed some 1,500 acres by late afternoon and prompted the evacuation of about 70 homes. The second blaze a few miles away devoured about 1,000 acres, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Lulu Castillo said. 
 
About 160 miles farther south, firefighters battled flames roaring through dry brush and chaparral near the Mexican border for a second day, keeping the desert community of Potrero under evacuation. 
 
That fire, about 50 miles southeast of San Diego, had charred more than 1,900 acres and was just 5 per cent contained on Monday, California fire officials reported. 
 
Two states away, the 6-day-old Dog Head Fire in central New Mexico has charred more than 17,000 acres and was 9 per cent contained after destroying 24 homes. 
(Reuters)

It has led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents from ranches and campgrounds in the area close to Santa Barbara

A stubborn wildfire stoked by triple-digit temperatures raged for a sixth day outside Santa Barbara in coastal Southern California on Monday as crews worked to keep the blaze some have called a "sleeping giant" in check, officials said. So far, the so-called Sherpa Fire burning in chaparral and tall grass about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Santa Barbara has led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents from ranches and campgrounds in the hilly area. Authorities said they expected to begin allowing homeowners and farm laborers back into those areas on Wednesday, though county health and environment officials issued an air quality warning for smoke and falling ash from the fire. The tally of acreage burned held at nearly 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) since late Sunday, said Jim Schwarber, a spokesman for the multi-agency team combating the blaze. The fire, which broke out last Wednesday in the Los Padres National Forest and was 54 per cent contained by Monday, has been called a sleeping giant due to the triple-digit temperatures and dense, bone-dry brush in the area that has not burned in decades, he said. "We're working hard to keep that giant contained so it doesn't wake up," Schwarber said. So far, the blaze has destroyed only one building - a water-treatment center at a campground, he said. But it has threatened more than 200 structures and forced officials to close the 101 Freeway near the Pacific Coast periodically as flames crept to within less than a mile of the shore. More than 1,900 firefighters were assigned to the blaze. "Red flag warnings" were also posted for the mountains around Los Angeles on Monday as two fires erupted in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest north of the city. One blaze, dubbed the Reservoir Fire, had consumed some 1,500 acres by late afternoon and prompted the evacuation of about 70 homes. The second blaze a few miles away devoured about 1,000 acres, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Lulu Castillo said. About 160 miles farther south, firefighters battled flames roaring through dry brush and chaparral near the Mexican border for a second day, keeping the desert community of Potrero under evacuation. That fire, about 50 miles southeast of San Diego, had charred more than 1,900 acres and was just 5 per cent contained on Monday, California fire officials reported. Two states away, the 6-day-old Dog Head Fire in central New Mexico has charred more than 17,000 acres and was 9 per cent contained after destroying 24 homes. (Reuters)

Firefighters hold 'sleeping giant' wildfire in check in California,

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