Four firefighters fell ill due to smoke inhalation while battling a fire at Mansur Khan Plaza in Chawkbazar, Old Dhaka. They were admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, the Fire Service and Civil Defence said.
However, no civilian casualties have been reported so far.
Fire Service media officer Shahjahan Shikder said the fire was brought under control at 5:20am on Tuesday after nearly 12 hours after it broke out.
A total of 12 units, including 10 Fire Service units, a Special Response Team and a Lighting Unit, took part in the operation, said Lt Col Md Mahmudul Hasan, director of Operations and Maintenance of the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
During a press briefing, he said the warehouses on the building’s sixth floor were gutted by the fire. The building houses warehouses storing various products, including cosmetics and bags.
The fire reportedly originated in one warehouse before spreading to other compartments. The large volume of goods stored inside the building made firefighting more difficult.
The fire broke out at the building around 5pm on Monday. After receiving the report, the first Fire Service unit reached the scene at 5:22pm.
Speaking at the briefing, the official said, “The narrow roads of Old Dhaka and the building’s structural conditions made it difficult to bring specialised and heavy firefighting vehicles to the scene. In addition, containing the fire after it spread to different parts of the building proved challenging.”
Around 150 personnel from the Fire Service took part in the operation. Volunteers and local residents also assisted in the firefighting efforts throughout the night.
Asked whether the building had a firefighting system, Mahmudul said he had inspected the upper section of the building and seen several fire extinguishers. However, he said he had not noticed any other firefighting arrangements.
The extent of the damage and the total number of shops or warehouses in the building could not immediately be determined. The cause of the fire also remained unknown at the time. A detailed update would be provided after an investigation conducted once the fire had been fully extinguished, he added.
