A major fire has broken out at an office building in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Firefighters are on scene and are desperately trying to free several people still trapped in side. Several workers have already leapt from the building.

Horrifying footage of the fire at the FR Tower at approximately 12:52pm local time Thursday shows helpless onlookers gathered on the streets below as firefighters continue to tackle the blaze.

Footage from inside the building shows workers fleeing the blaze and calmly evacuating the scene. A helicopter winched more people off the roof of the building as clouds of smoke continued to billow from the blazing structure.

"Seventeen firefighting units of the Dhaka Fire Service and Civil Defense are trying to douse the fire," a senior Fire Service official told the Dhaka Tribune.

Three units of the Bangladeshi Navy are assisting efforts to bring the blaze under control.

Some six people have reportedly been seen leaping from the building to escape the flames, but their condition is not known at this time.

Last month, a fire in Dhaka's old quarter killed at least 70 people and injured a further 50.

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