Ctg warehouse fire under control after six hours; probe committee formed
The fire that broke out at the warehouse of S Alam Refined Sugar Industries in Chattogram was brought under control around 10pm, six hours after it started around 3:55pm Monday (4 March).
Around 100,000 tonnes of raw sugar, estimated to be worth Tk1,000 crore, was at risk of being gutted in the warehouse located in the Isanagar area of Karnaphuli upazila in Chattogram.
Md Abdul Malek, assistant director of Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the blaze came under control but the firefighters are still working to douse it fully.
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Meanwhile, the district administration formed a seven-member probe committee to look into the incident, said Deputy Commissioner Abul Bashar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman.
Action will be taken after getting the probe report from the committee, he added.
Earlier, the Bangladesh Coast Guard and the Bangladesh Air Force joined the firefighting operation around 7:45pm.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence also increased the number of units to 14.
Besides, a team of Bangladesh Navy also joined their hands with fire service men, UNB reported.
Abdul Malek said the 10,000 square feet warehouse of the refinery lacked any fire safety system.
"As a result, the blaze spread quickly and engulfed the entire warehouse, which is full of raw sugar and other materials," he added.
Subrata Kumar Bhowmik, executive director of S Alam Group, said the fire spread while the mill was operational.
"We could not determine if anyone was trapped inside or where the fire originated. We are assisting the fire service in extinguishing the flames," he said.
Bhowmik claimed that there was 100,000 tonnes of raw sugar imported from Brazil in the warehouse.
Shoaib Hossain Munshi, warehouse inspector of Karnaphuli Fire Station, said, "It is not yet known how the fire started. Details will be known after an investigation."
He also said no loss of life has been reported yet but extensive damage has been done.
"An ambulance was called as there might be some injuries," he added.
S Alam Refined Sugar Industries encompasses two refinery plants.
Plant-1 has a production capacity of 900 tonnes per day, while Plant-2 can produce up to 1,600 tonnes daily. The factory operates with technology and technical support from Thailand and France.
