Rooppur plant fire: Internet, water, power still not restored in 57hrs

A fire at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project in Ishwardi, Pabna, has disrupted internet, electricity and water services at several facilities, with the internet connection still not restored nearly 57 hours after the incident.

The fire broke out at around 3AM on Monday (September 7) at an office of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) at the project’s Pioneer Base, but the incident came to light only on Tuesday (September 8) night.

The blaze gutted the BAEC server room and several adjoining rooms, damaging computers, air conditioners, important documents, electrical equipment and various components of the internet server system.

Md Sadekul Bari, deputy assistant director of the Pabna Fire Service, said the fire originated in the server room at the BAEC Pioneer Base early Monday and quickly spread to nearby rooms amid heavy smoke.

Four units of the Ishwardi Fire Service rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control after a prolonged effort, he added.

Following the fire, electricity supply to the Pioneer Base and two nearby buildings was completely disrupted. Internet connections were also cut off at several offices of Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) and BAEC.

A site in-charge at the project, speaking on condition of anonymity, said internet services at the key facilities had still not been restored by 12PM on Wednesday, causing serious communication problems for project personnel.

Electricity and water supplies have also remained suspended at the customs building and the canteen, Sadekul Bari said.

The prolonged disruption of internet and electricity services, coupled with damage to the server room, has hampered the project’s regular operations. 

Project officials have expressed concern that important data and documents may have been lost or damaged in the fire.

Md Shahidul Islam, station master of Rooppur Greens City Modern Fire Service, said the server room suffered significant damage as technological equipment and documents were destroyed in the blaze.

However, he said the exact extent of the losses could not yet be determined.

Sadekul Bari said an initial assessment suggested that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit. The exact cause, however, will be known after a full investigation, he added.

Efforts to obtain comments from project authorities about the incident were unsuccessful. Multiple calls and text messages sent to project director Kabir Hossain also went unanswered.