Building blast kills at least 17; scores hurt

An explosion in a seven-story commercial building in Bangladesh’s capital Tuesday killed at least 17 people and injured dozens, officials said.

The explosion occurred in Gulistan area, a busy commercial area of Dhaka, fire department official Rashed bin Khaled said.

The building contained several stores selling plumbing products and household items, and its first two floors were badly damaged, according to fire officials.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, but some reports said accumulated gas was to blame.

Bacchu Mia, a police official at the state-run Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said more than 50 people were taken there for treatment, and at least 14 of them were dead. The others later died of their injuries, he said. Local media reported at least 100 people were injured in the blast.