The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: At least 16 people were killed and more than 100 injured in an explosion in a crowded market area in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on Tuesday, March 7. While it is yet unclear what caused the explosion, fire officials said that it caused heavy damage to two floors of a seven-story building.
The explosion occurred at around 5 pm local time, according to news reports.
“There were several shops selling sanitary ware and household goods. A bus standing on the opposite side of the building was also damaged in the blast,” fire service official Dinomoni Sharma told the news agency Reuters.
Another explosion in Dhaka on Sunday killed three people. Bangladesh has a history of industrial disasters.
According to Reuters, images from the scene showed “extensive damage to the building and nearby structures, with items that were once inside the shops piled up on the street”. Pedestrians were hit by falling rubble and broken glass.
Meanwhile, AP reported that the explosion occurred in Gulistan, a busy commercial area of Dhaka. Fire department official Rashed bin Khaled told the news agency that at least 11 fire department teams were working at the scene of the explosion.
The death toll may rise as rescue efforts have not been completed. According to the Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, the fire department halted rescue efforts at around 8 pm local time because “a crack was developed” on one of the pillars of the building.