At least 19 people have died and many others were trapped and injured after a major fire broke out in a high-rise building in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital.

Dramatic footage from the scene, where flames engulfed the ninth and tenth floors of a 22-storey building, showed people trying to climb down cables between air conditioning units. Local media reported that at least six people had tried to jump to escape the flames.

Police confirmed the rise in death toll and said 70 others had been injured. The fire broke out shortly after midday on Thursday in the FR Tower, an office building on a busy street in the capital’s Banani business district.

An intense operation to tackle the blaze lasted several hours and included at least 20 fire crews as well as the military, which supplied helicopters to dump water on the tower from one of the city’s lakes.

In the early evening, fire service deputy director Debashish Bardhan said “the situation is under control”, and that while the operation continued most of those trapped on the upper floors without an escape route had been rescued.

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

At the height of the blaze, witness Sajib Hasan said people were seen shouting for help from windows on the upper floors of the building. Thick plumes of smoke impaired the efforts of firefighters, but Mr Hasan said he watched at least a dozen people get rescued by hydraulic cranes.

A Facebook Live video taken by Roy Pinaki showed five people scaling down from windows while building materials fell around them. One person slipped from what appeared to be a rope that people were using to escape, bounced off utility wires and fell to the ground.

And a correspondent for The Daily Star, Bangladesh’s largest English-language newspaper, reported that at least six people had been seen trying to jump to safety. They were all reportedly rushed to hospital and their condition was unknown.

The 19 dead included one Sri Lankan citizen, Banani police chief Forman Ali told reporters at a media briefing.

Workers at Vivid Holidays, a tourism business based on the first floor, said all their employees were accounted for but “we don’t know what happened to the people who work on the upper floors”.

One woman at the scene told The Daily Star that her daughter, Aparajita Barua, works in an office on the 12th floor of the building.

“During our last contact, she told us there were huge fumes in the building and that she was finding it difficult to breathe. Now, we can’t reach her on the phone,” she said.

Bangladesh suffers frequently from major building fires, in part due to poor enforcement of regulations. Last month, a fire killed at least 81 people in the capital.