At least 44 people have been killed and many others found unconscious after a devastating fire ripped through a building housing restaurants and shops on Bailey Road in the capital.

Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen said around 2am that 33 bodies were brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and 10 others to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Another victim died at the Police Hospital.

Fire Service and Civil Defence was not certain if there were any dead victims among the 42 unconscious, its Director General Brig Gen Md Moin Uddin said around 1:15am on Friday.

He put the death toll at three at that time, but Mohidul Islam, a sub-inspector from Shahbagh Police Station, said around 1am that he saw and counted 11 bodies at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Mohidul could not confirm if there were more bodies at the scene.

Mahid Uddin, an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said several people died in the incident, but he could not confirm how many.

Later, a truckload of bodies arrived at the hospital.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence earlier said they rescued 75 people and sent many others to the hospital.

As many as 12 units of firefighters worked for hours after the fire started around 9:45pm on Thursday.

Those admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for injuries they sustained while getting down the building included chef Deen Islam, 28, his assistants Jewel, 30, and Jobayer, 20, waiters Arif, 20, Iqbal, 35, Ujjol Sarder, 23, Rakib, 25, Shakil, 22, Omor Faruque, 43, Cezan, 25, Rasel, 35, and Imran, 14. Full names and details of all of the injured were not immediately available. 

The Fire Service says the building, Green Cozy Cottage, houses Kacchi Bhai biriyani shop, an outlet of retailer Illiyeen and several other shops.

Live videos shared by people on Facebook showed a fire engulfing the building while onlookers gathered outside.

Locals and firefighters were seen rescuing the people trapped inside the building in some of the videos.

The seven-storey building with a penthouse has a clothing shop on the second floor while all other floors housed food shops, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman.

Most of the victims, who were taken to the DMCH and another local hospital, were asphyxiated, according to him.

Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun said around 1:15am that all 42 unconscious people were in critical condition. “We’re concerned about them. We’re desperately trying to treat and save them.”

He also said the dead victims included the daughter of a police officer.

Fire Service DG Moin said the 42 unconscious included 21 women and four children.

“It was a dangerous building with gas cylinders on every floor, even on the staircases,” he said.

He believes the fire originated from a gas leak or stove.

The building has only one exit - the staircases, according to him.