The fire service has finally brought under control the devastating fire in the city’s Shialbari area, which broke out early Tuesday.
The blaze was tamed around 2pm on Wednesday, but emergency response teams have warned that more time is required to completely dowse the fire.
Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director of Operations and Maintenance, confirmed the fire’s containment at a press briefing, stating that 6-7 types of hazardous chemicals remain a serious concern in the neighbourhood.
“We are still assessing the exact levels of these chemicals,” said Chowdhury. “We are flushing out the chemicals with water flow and using drones for continuous monitoring of the site.
“The construction pillars of Alam Traders have sustained significant damage, but it is difficult to estimate the extent of damage without input from Rajuk or structural experts.”
Chowdhury also noted that the site remains dangerous, with cracks appearing in the building’s pillars. “It is risky for our team to enter such unstable premises. We estimate that we may need up to 72 more hours to fully control the fire.”
The ongoing search operation will determine whether anyone was inside chemical warehouse at the time of the fire.
“We have been warning people to stay away from the area,” Chowdhury added. “The chemical contamination in the area is severe, with dangerous levels of radioactivity that could impact up to 500 meters.”
The authorities have issued public warnings, urging people to avoid the vicinity and have taken steps to prevent further risks. Chowdhury also highlighted that the chemical warehouse was among the illegal establishments that had received three prior notices.
“We are taking action against the owner for non-compliance. Public awareness must also be raised to eliminate such hazardous businesses.”
The fire department continues to monitor the situation closely, as the risk of further damage from chemicals remains high.
The fire, which broke out at approximately 11:45am on Tuesday in a chemical warehouse in Mirpur’s Shialbari area, quickly spread to a nearby ready-made garment factory. By the evening, fire service officials had recovered 16 bodies from the site.
