Deadly Blast Rocks Multi-Storeyed Building In Bangladesh's Dhaka. SEE PICS

According to the fire service control room, eleven firefighting units containing 200 firefighters were mobilized at the scene following the blast.

Firefighters and emergency gather outside a building following an explosion in Dhaka.

A powerful "earthquake-like" explosion rocked a seven-story building in Bangladesh's capital city on Tuesday, killing at least 16 people, including two women, and injuring more than 100 others, according to police and locals, reported news agency PTI. ( Image Source: Getty )

According to the fire service control room, eleven firefighting units containing 200 firefighters were mobilized at the scene following the blast, which occurred in Old Dhaka's crowded Gulistan area around 4:50 pm (local time). ( Image Source: Getty )

A representative of the fire service informed reporters, "Sixteen bodies have been found (so far), but the toll could rise as the rescue operation is underway." ( Image Source: Getty )

Although it was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, residents believed chemicals illegally stored within the building, which was mostly used as an office and business complex, might have sparked it. ( Image Source: Getty )

"At first, I thought it was an earthquake. The entire Siddik Bazar area was shaken by the blast," eyewitness Safayet Hossain, a local shopkeeper, told The Daily Star newspaper. "I saw 20-25 people lying in the road in front of a damaged building. They were seriously injured and bleeding. They were crying out for help. Some people were running around in panic," he said. ( Image Source: Getty )

He went on to say that the locals were bringing the injured to the hospital in vans and rickshaws. Alamgir, who was close to the blast site, said, "After the loud noise, people quickly came out of the building. There was panic on everyone's faces. The glass of the building's windows shattered and fell onto the street. Many pedestrians on the street were injured." The Rapid Action Battalion's bomb disposal unit was rushed to the spot to inspect the buildings. ( Image Source: Getty )