At least 16 people have been killed and over 60 injured in a deadly fire that engulfed a 16-storey residential area in Baku’s Binagadi district.
Azerbaijan’s chief prosecutor, Zakir Garalov, said the bad quality of plastic paneling covering the building caused the fire. Amid mounting panic and horrifying scenes, helicopters have been seen hovering over the blaze to dump water on the building to suppress the fire. Ambulance teams have been dispatched. According to
Abc.az
, this is the second fire in a plastic-coated building in Baku, occurring this spring.
According to local residents, the building was part of the renovation work done on the eve of the European Games to provide a better-looking facade for buildings.
