A helicopter plucked survivors from the roof of Bangladesh's biggest shopping mall as a fire raced through the upper levels of the high-rise complex, killing at least seven people and injuring 50 others.

Huge flames shot into the air on Friday amid billowing smoke as hundreds of panicked people, many carrying shopping bags, fled Dhaka's 22-storey Bashundhara City mall, which has more than 2,000 stores and cafes.