Massive fire burns Gazipur warehouse

A fire damaged warehouse valuables worth several crore taka, including yarn, cartons and other flammable materials, at a garment factory in Gazipur’s Kashimpur on Saturday.

According to factory sources, the warehouse contained large quantities of yarn, cartons and other flammable materials.

Nine units of the Fire Service brought the blaze under control after nearly three and a half hours of efforts.

No casualties have been reported so far. Fire Service officials could not immediately determine the cause of the fire.

Talha Bin Jasim, an official at the media cell of the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters, said they received information about the fire at 10:14am at a warehouse storing cartons and yarn belonging to Supreme Garments in the West Shaildubi area of Kashimpur.

The first firefighting unit reached the scene at 10:25am and began efforts to extinguish the fire. As the blaze intensified, more units from nearby fire stations joined the operation. A total of nine units took part in the firefighting operation.

Locals said the fire spread rapidly because large quantities of cartons and other flammable materials were stored in the warehouse. Flames and thick black smoke spreading across the area triggered panic among local people.

Saidul Alam Chowdhury, deputy assistant director of the Gazipur Fire Service, said firefighters surrounded the blaze and conducted firefighting operations using a 360-degree approach. However, water shortages made it difficult to bring the fire under control. The blaze was eventually brought under control through the efforts of all nine units, he added.

Although the Fire Service declared the fire under control, thick smoke continued to billow from the two warehouses. Fire Service officials said damping operations to extinguish the remaining fire were underway and would take considerable time. However, there was no further risk of the fire spreading, they added.

Deputy Assistant Director Saiful Alam Chowdhury said the cause of the fire had not yet been established. The extent of the damage to the warehouses could also not be assessed immediately. 

Details would be available after the fire was completely extinguished, he said.
Meanwhile, a Fire Service official said narrow roads and water shortages in the Kashimpur industrial area posed challenges to the firefighting operation.