By Pinaki Roy in Dhaka

More than 100 people, mostly women and children, were burned alive and around 150 wounded in a blaze in Old Dhaka, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, on Thursday night.

The government has declared today (5th June) a national day of mourning.

The fire originated from a residential house and was sparked by barrels of flammable chemicals stored at the garage. Two electrical transformers exploded as the fire sprayed in the lanes, buildings and shops, local people and fire fighters said.

“We reached the spot within minutes. But we could not operate properly as we did not get water reservoir near the ablaze spot. We had to collect water from around half a kilometre away,” said Abdur Rashid, deputy director of Dhaka’s Fire Service and Civil Defence Department.

The devastation was so severe that charred bodies, many of them beyond recognition, were seen lying everywhere on Thursday night – in alleyways, in front of shops, in staircases and in rooms.

Of the bodies, 14 were yet to be identified.

Witnesses said they heard a huge bang and saw flames swallowing the houses and shops adjacent to the transformers in no time.

Locals, police and fire officials said the fire broke out in a five-storey building, where a pre-wedding function was taking place. On the ground floor of that building, cooks had been preparing foods since Thursday afternoon in a room adjacent to chemical barrels.

As a result of exposure to intense heat from stoves throughout the day, chemicals caught fire at around 8:45pm. Soon flames engulfed the buildings and shops.

Sparks from electric wires and gas leaks are also believed to have added to the ferocity of the blaze.

The fireball leapt up to around 200 feet and then rained down on the houses. The glow of the fire could be seen from parts of the capital far away.

Besides heavy casualties, the fire caused extensive damage to property. Shops were particularly damaged.

“With power supply snapped, it looked like hell on earth. All I could hear were shrill cries coming out from every direction,” said Rahima Begum, who was feeding her child when the fire broke out.

“I don't know how other members of my family and I rushed out of our fourth-floor flat,” she added.

The death toll in the blaze rose to 109 yesterday, said a government handout. Some of the families who were living in the buildings have lost most of their members. One family has lost 11 members, and another family has lost seven.

The fire, the biggest since the country’s independence in 1971, gutted eight buildings and more than 20 shops at Nawab Katra of Nimtoli in Old Dhaka, where thousands of people live in one square kilometre.

Locals said only those who were not in their houses and shops could escape the disaster. Those who were inside at the time either died or have been fighting for life in hospitals.

At least 39 people with severe burns were under treatment at DMCH burn unit, Mitford Hospital and Combined Medical Hospital. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia visited the wounded at DMCH.

Throughout yesterday, hundreds of people from across the city crowded into Nimtoli. While most were there to see the ruins firsthand, many were searching for loved ones.