Firefighters are facing challenges in controlling a fire that broke out early Saturday at Jumela Tower, a 12-storey building in Babu Bazar, Keraniganj, due to the presence of a jhute (Scrap fabrics) warehouse inside the premises.
Authorities have confirmed that no chemicals were found in the building.
Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam, director (Operations and Maintenance) of the Fire Service, told reporters, “The building houses both residential and commercial units.
Flames are still visible on the second floor, and smoke continues to spread across other floors. The jhute warehouse is making firefighting operations difficult.”
Efforts are also underway to prevent the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings. So far, 45 people have been safely rescued via staircases, and no casualties have been reported.
The fire reportedly started on the ground floor of the building early Saturday. Fire Service officials received the first report at 5:37am, and the first unit arrived within eight minutes, beginning operations at 5:45am.
In total, 15 fire units from Keraniganj, Sadarghat, and Siddiq Bazar stations are now battling the blaze.
The ground-floor fire quickly produced heavy smoke that spread throughout the building, causing panic among the occupants. Fire officials continue to work to bring the situation under control.
Law enforcement agencies, along with personnel from the army and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), have been deployed at the site of the massive fire to maintain order and assist in rescue operations.
The cause of the fire and the extent of damage were not immediately known. Further details will be available following a full investigation once the fire is brought under control, Fire Service official said
