A man was killed and 17 others, including women and children, suffered injuries or fell ill as a fire broke out at a furniture shop on Nazimuddin Road in Dhaka's Bangshal area early yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Amin Uddin, 65, said police.

Md Faruk, in-charge of the DMCH police outpost, confirmed that Amin Uddin died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The fire originated in the shop on the ground floor of the five-storey building at around 4:10am. On information, seven firefighting units rushed to the spot and managed to douse the blaze after an hour's effort, said Md Shahjahan, duty officer at control room of Fire Service and Civil Defence.

The firefighters rescued 18 people from the building, of whom 12 were provided first aid on the spot, while six others were sent to DMCH and the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, he added.

The cause of the fire could not be known immediately.