A major fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon at Adam Caps and Textiles Ltd in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), prompting an urgent response from the fire service as thick black smoke billowed across the industrial area.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and focused their efforts on containing the flames and preventing the blaze from spreading to adjacent factories.
The fire, which reportedly started around 2:30pm, quickly engulfed a storage facility within the industrial zone. At least 25 fire service units supported by Airforce and Navy were deployed immediately, and additional reinforcements were later called in from nearby fire stations as the situation intensified.
“Due to the dense layout of the factories and the flammable materials stored inside, there was a high risk of the blaze spreading rapidly,” said Jashim Uddin, deputy director of the Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence.
“Our teams are working tirelessly to create a buffer zone around Adam Caps and neighboring units to ensure the fire did not reach them.”
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as workers from nearby factories were urgently evacuated, with at least five factories declaring sudden closures amid the rapidly spreading blaze. Several employees reported hearing multiple explosions, likely caused by stored chemicals or pressurised cylinders within the affected facility.
“Firefighter teams are working in two separate groups,” said Abdullah Al Mahmud, superintendent of police for Industrial Police Zone-3.
“One group is focused on preventing the fire from spreading to nearby factories, while the other is directly engaged in bringing the Adam Caps blaze under control,” he added.
“It is still unclear how the fire managed to spread across all seven floors of the building,” said Mahmud. “However, we suspect that the presence of raw materials used in manufacturing medical equipment, such as masks, may have significantly fueled the blaze.”
“We were working when the fire alarm went off,” said Rasel Ahmed, a supervisor at Adam Caps and Textiles Ltd. “Everyone was asked to leave immediately.
Although the origin of the fire is still under investigation, initial reports suggest it may have started from electrical short-circuit or faulty machinery.
So far, there have been no reports of casualties, but several workers were treated on-site for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. The full extent of the property damage is yet to be determined.
