At least 15 people have been killed and several others injured in a blast in the capital of Bangladesh

according to Bangladeshi authorities, 19 people were killed, and 50 others were injured after a massive explosion ripped through a busy and crowded building in the capital.

The incident occurred on Tuesday around 4 p.m. Eleven fire departments responded to the scene to conduct rescue operations. People who had been injured were taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. According to DMCH Director Brig Gen Md Nazmul Haque, approximately 120 people were injured in the explosion.

PHOTO | COURTESY Bangladesh blast

Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Mahid Uddin Khondekar said that the cause of the blast is still unknown but they suspect a gas explosion could have caused it.

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"We're not sure, but it appears accidental," he said, adding that the number of casualties and extent of the damage would be more apparent once firefighters and rescue workers finished their work.

According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police, few people were inside the building at the time of the blast, and its location on a busy road near a market meant that pedestrians were affected.

PHOTO | COURTESY Bangladesh blast

Photos show fire crews and other emergency personnel conducting search and rescue operations after dark. The crumbling buildings made it hard for them to reach survivors. Relatives of the victims were outside and could be seen crying.

Gas explosions are very common in this Asian country. The blast comes barely a week after another fatal explosion killed three people in the capital city. the city's massive population of over 23 million makes it hard for safety regulations to be enforced.