A fire broke out in an abandoned railway carriage in the Banglabazar area under Sadarghat Police Station in Chattogram on Friday afternoon, spreading panic across the locality.
According to Fire Service sources, news of the fire in the abandoned carriage was received at 5:47pm. Upon receiving the report, three firefighting tenders – one from Bandar Fire Station and two from Agrabad Fire Station – rushed to the scene.
Fire Service personnel managed to bring the fire under control after nearly half an hour of effort, with the blaze being fully controlled at around 6:45pm.
Locals said several abandoned railway carriages have been lying in Banglabazar area for a long time. There are also allegations that drug addicts gather in these abandoned carriages at various times.
It is suspected that the fire might have been caused by carelessness inside the carriages, although the exact cause has not yet been confirmed.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing blazing flames and plumes of smoke from a distance, which created panic in surrounding areas before firefighters arrived at the spot and commenced operations to control the fire.
Locals further said that earlier in April this year, two abandoned railway carriages caught fire in the same area.
The Fire Service said the exact cause of the fire and the extent of damage will be determined following an investigation.
