At least three people were killed and two others injured in a fire that broke out at Reazuddin Bazar, one of the largest wholesale markets in Chattogram city, early Friday, said Fire Service.
The identities of the casualties could not be ascertained immediately. But the Fire Service and Civil Defence control room in Chattogram’s Agrabad claimed that the blaze was brought under control around 5am.
Shoppers and the Fire Service sources said the blaze erupted in the early hours of Friday in one Brothers’ Telecom of eight-storey Rezwan Complex, where mobile parts and electric device shops house, of the Reazuddin Bazar on Tamakkundi Lane by New Market, engulfing nearby Mohammadi Plaza.
Mozammel Haque, a leader of the Reazuddin Bazar Banik Kaylan Samity, said several employees were asleep and trapped in different shops when the fire broke out.
Three of them succumbed to smoke inhalation as they couldn't come out in time, he said, adding that the fire, which raged for several hours, burned numerous businesses.
Abdur Razzak, Deputy Assistant Director of Chattogram Fire Service, said, "We received reports of the fire at Rezwan Complex on Bahar Lane in Amtal area at around 1:40am. Several firefighting units from Agrabad, Nandan Kanan, and Chandanpura arrived promptly. Despite our efforts, the fire was not fully controlled until after 3:30am when three more units joined the operation."
Razzak also said, "Several people were trapped in the market, and among them, three died. Others fell ill due to the intense smoke. The narrow lanes obstructed our access, complicating the firefighting efforts."
The bodies were sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy, he added.
By 5 am, the Fire Service Control Room claimed that the fire was brought under control. An investigation is underway to determine the cause and extent of the damages.20 shops gutted in a fire in Bagerhat
Besides, in Bagerhat, at least 20 business structures were gutted in a devastating fire that broke out in a market in Sarankhola upazila of Bagerhat on Thursday.
The affected shop owners claimed that valuables worth Tk 2 crore were damaged in the fire. The fire-hit shops included grocery, pharmacies, electronics and plastic goods.
Owners and Fire Services said the fire erupted in one the shops of Rayenda Panch Rasta Intersection in the upazila around 10:30pm.
Moniruzzaman Babul, general secretary of Rayenda Bazar Committee, blaming the fire service's negligence for failing to control the fire promptly claimed that the fire caused a loss of some Tk 2 crore
He urged the government to compensate the affected shopkeepers for survival.
Denying the allegation, Sarankhola Fire Service and Civil Defense’s Station Officer Md. Aftab E Alam said that the fire was intense and took an hour to bring under control.
He assured that there is no longer a risk of the fire spreading. However, he could not immediately provide the exact amount of the damage caused by the fire.
The blaze was brought under control by the efforts of the fire service and local residents, with the assistance of heavy rain that started around 11:30pm.
