A high-rise building in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka where a fire killed 25 people lacked proper fire exits, government officials have said.

A senior minister described the blaze, which engulfed the ninth and 10th floors of the 22-storey building, as “murder”.

Authorities have launched an investigation into Thursday’s fire, in which at least seven people died after jumping from the FR Tower, an office building in the capital’s Banani business district.

“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, said.

“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.”

Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Show all 30 1 /30 Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A huge fire tore through a Dhaka office block killing at least five people with many others feared trapped in the latest major fire to hit the Bangladesh capital AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A survivor reacts after being rescued by firefighters from a burning office building in Dhaka AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building TOPSHOT - Bangladeshi firefighters on ladders work to extinguish a blaze in an office building in Dhaka on March 28, 2019. - A huge fire tore through a Dhaka office block March 28 killing at least five people with many others feared trapped in the latest major inferno to hit the Bangladesh capital. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP)MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images MUNIR UZ ZAMAN AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Firefighters rescue a man from a burning office building in Dhaka AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Firefighters attempt to rescue a person from the building AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Fire Department control room official Ershad Hossain said by phone the FR Tower in Dhaka's Banani commercial district caught fire Thursday afternoon and at least 19 fire fighting units joined the operation to douse the blaze and rescue the people trapped inside Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Firefighters work to douse the fire AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Bangladeshi firefighters rescue a man from a burning office building in Dhaka on March 28, 2019. - A huge fire tore through a Dhaka office block March 28 killing at least five people with many others feared trapped in the latest major inferno to hit the Bangladesh capital. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP)MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images MUNIR UZ ZAMAN AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building People react as fire broke out REUTERS Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Bangladeshi firefighters (L) try to extinguish a blaze in an office building in Dhaka on March 28, 2019. - A huge fire tore through a Dhaka office block March 28 killing at least five people with many others feared trapped in the latest major inferno to hit the Bangladesh capital. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP)MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images MUNIR UZ ZAMAN AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A man stuck in the multi-storied office building speaks on his mobile phone AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A person is being rescued as fire broke out at a multi-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A trapped person waves to be rescued Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building TOPSHOT - Bangladeshi firefighters try to extinguish a blaze in an office building in Dhaka on March 28, 2019. - A huge fire tore through a Dhaka office block March 28 killing at least five people with many others feared trapped in the latest major inferno to hit the Bangladesh capital. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP)MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images MUNIR UZ ZAMAN AFP/Getty Images Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A person is being rescued as fire broke out at a multi-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A helicopter carries water to drop on a burning office building as Bangladeshi firefighters on ladders work to extinguish the blaze in Dhaka on March 28, 2019. - A huge fire tore through a Dhaka office block March 28 killing at least five people with many others feared trapped in the latest major inferno to hit the Bangladesh capital. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP)MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images MUNIR UZ ZAMAN AFP/Getty Images Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Firefighters work to douse the fire AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A person is being rescued as fire broke out at a multi-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Firefighters work to douse a fire in a multi-storied office building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, March 28, 2019. Fire Department control room official Ershad Hossain said by phone the FR Tower in Dhaka's Banani commercial district caught fire Thursday afternoon and at least 19 fire fighting units joined the operation to douse the blaze and rescue the people trapped inside. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu ) Mahmud Hossain Opu AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Locals help firefighters douse a fire in a multi-storied office building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, March 28, 2019. Fire Department control room official Ershad Hossain said by phone the FR Tower in Dhaka's Banani commercial district caught fire Thursday afternoon and at least 19 fire fighting units joined the operation to douse the blaze and rescue the people trapped inside. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) Mahmud Hossain Opu AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building People are seen being rescued as fire broke out at a multi-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A rescued person is taken to the ambulance as fire broke out at a multi-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building People and emergency responders are seen outside a building on fire, in Dhaka, Bangladesh March 28, 2019 in this picture grab obtained from a social media video. ABU SAYED/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES SOCIAL MEDIA Abu Sayed Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Smoke rises from a building in Dhaka, Bangladesh March 28, 2019 in this picture grab obtained from a social media video. MD SHARIF AHAMMAD/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES SOCIAL MEDIA MD Sharid Ahammad Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Firefighters work to douse a fire in a multi-storied office building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, March 28, 2019. Fire Department control room official Ershad Hossain said by phone the FR Tower in Dhaka's Banani commercial district caught fire Thursday afternoon and at least 19 fire fighting units joined the operation to douse the blaze and rescue the people trapped inside. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu ) Mahmud Hossain Opu AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A person looks on as firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire at a multi-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building People stand outside a building on fire, in Dhaka, Bangladesh March 29, 2019 in this picture grab obtained from a social media video. MAX SECURE LIMITED/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES SOCIAL MEDIA Max Secure Limited/Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building People are seen being rescued as fire broke out at a multi-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building People are seen being rescued as fire broke out at a multi-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Volunteers help to clear the road as fire broke out at a multi-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN Reuters

The building’s two exits were only 2ft and 4ft wide, too narrow for people to leave smoothly, and were blocked by obstructions that made the task harder, he added.

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.

Raising buildings beyond approved design is rampant in Bangladesh, where the government is seeking fast economic development and the private sector is expanding.

“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 fire injured about 70 people, many of them now being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s burn unit.

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It was the latest fire in a country where crowding, flouted building regulations and safety norms have made deadly blazes common.

Last month, a fire in the oldest part of Dhaka, a 400-year-old area cramped with apartments, shops and warehouses, left at least 67 people dead.

In 2012, a fire at a garment factory killed at least 112 people trapped behind its locked gates. Less than six months later, another building containing garment factories collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

Another fire in a house illegally storing chemicals in Old Dhaka killed at least 123 people in 2010.