DHAKA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Nearly six hours after a fire swept through Bangladesh's largest market complex, fire crews have rescued 19 people who were trapped on the top floors.
"We've rescued 19 people including those seven to eight people who were seen on rooftop seeking help," said a fire department officer.
The officer who declined to be named said all the rescued people are in good condition.
"We're yet to assess the total loss and exact cause of the fire. We've controlled the fire and stopped it from spreading after hectic efforts of about six hours," he said.
He said 29 units of fire fighters, using cranes, are still spraying water to put out the blaze completely in parts of the upper floors.
Plumes of smoke are still seen from the mall though 29 firefighting units are working hard to bring the situation completely under control.
Sources said dozens of shops in the 5th floor where the fire broke out were gutted. They said huge valuables were also burnt in other floors in the blaze that broke out on Sunday at about 11:30 a.m. local time in the market's 5th floor, which is packed with scores of local and foreign mobile shops.
The fire sent huge thick black smoke into the air visible for at least several kilometers.
Bashundhara is 19 stories tall, of which eight are used for the mall, which accommodates some 2,500 shops as well as a cinema and cafes, and the remainder as the corporate headquarters of the Bashundhara Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates of Bangladesh.
Numerous valuables were burnt in the fire bringing huge losses to the shop owners.
There was so far no report on loss of life.
Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Anisul Haque, who visited the fire site said they will investigate why the building catches fire repeatedly.
This is the second major fire incident in the building in less than eight years.
Earlier in March 2009, a big fire broke out at the shopping complex which claimed at least seven people's lives and caused huge financial losses.
The 16th to the top 19th floor were completely burnt in the 2009 fire.
