Horrific fire breaks out in Chittagong export processing zone: Fire still not under control after eight hours
Horrific fire breaks out in Chittagong export processing zone: Fire still not under control after eight hours
A massive fire broke out in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) area on Thursday (October 16) at around 2 pm. The fire, which broke out in the warehouses of Adams Caps and Textile Limited and Jihong Medical Company, has not been fully brought under control even after more than eight hours. Along with 23 units of the Fire Service, members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are working together to control the fire. However, the intensity of the fire is so intense that the fire service members are unable to get close to the building, and intermittent explosions inside have become a major obstacle to extinguishing the fire.
The beginning and intensity of the fire
The fire broke out in the warehouses of Adams Caps and Textile Limited and Jihong Medical Company. Jasim Uddin, deputy director of the Chittagong division of the Fire Service, said that the two companies that caught fire mainly manufactured towels and hospital equipment. These factories had a large amount of flammable materials stored, which caused the fire to spread quickly. The intensity of the fire has increased so much that the roof of the eight-story building has collapsed. In addition, there are intermittent explosions inside the building, which has further complicated the rescue operation.
Fire Service Assistant Director Anwar Hossain said that modern technology is being used to extinguish the fire. This includes a robot unit, which is automatically helping to control the fire by spraying water. However, due to the intense heat, fire service members are unable to reach the building. They are trying to extinguish the fire by spraying water from a distance.
Fire spread and damage to surrounding areas
The intense heat of the fire has also spread to a three-story building nearby. In addition, several nearby factory buildings have become overheated, raising the risk of a bigger disaster. To prevent the fire from spreading, the authorities of the nearby factories are trying to keep their buildings cool by spraying water on their own initiative.
CEPZ Executive Director Md. Abdus Sobhan said the fire started on the seventh floor of the building, which was originally used as a warehouse. About 700 workers worked in this building. Fortunately, everyone was able to be safely evacuated soon after the fire broke out. No casualties have been reported so far, which is a relief in this disaster.
Joint efforts in rescue operations
23 units of the Fire Service are working to control the fire, including units from Bandar, Agrabad, EPZ, Kalurghat and Chandanpura stations. In addition, members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are assisting in the rescue operation. As the intensity of the fire increased, two platoons of BGB members have joined the scene. The use of modern robot units has added a new dimension to the operation, which is spraying water without human entry into the dangerous area.
Challenges and future concerns
The fire is facing several challenges in containing the fire. The roof collapse of the building, intermittent explosions, and intense heat have made the fire service's work difficult. In addition, the presence of flammable materials is accelerating the spread of the fire. If urgent measures are not taken to prevent damage to nearby factories, this incident could lead to a bigger disaster.
The incident has once again highlighted the importance of safety measures in industrial areas. Questions are being raised about the storage of flammable materials, firefighting systems and adequate preparation of rescue procedures in factories in case of emergency. The need for strict safety policies and regular inspections has been reinforced to avoid such accidents in the future.
The fire in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone is a major threat to the industrial area. Despite the combined efforts of the Fire Service, Army, Navy, Air Force and BGB, it has not yet been possible to bring the fire under control. However, it is a matter of relief that the workers were safely evacuated and there were no reports of casualties. It is important to learn from this incident and strengthen security measures in the industrial area in the future and take more effective measures to deal with disasters. For now, the rescue operation will continue until the fire is completely brought under control.
No comments