A devastating fire broke out at the Adams Caps and Textile Limited factory in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) on Thursday afternoon, continuing to burn for more than ten hours and threatening nearby buildings despite extensive firefighting efforts.
Twenty-three units of the Fire Service, supported by the Navy, Air Force, Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and police, were deployed to contain the blaze.
Authorities at neighboring factories sprayed water inside their buildings to reduce the heat and prevent the flames from spreading.
“The heat from the fire is affecting the adjacent factory. To prevent damage, we are spraying water inside our building to keep it cool,” said Shahnewaz, an official of the nearby Smart Jacket factory.
Deputy Director of Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD), Mohammad Jashim Uddin, confirmed that the fire was still not under control as of 11pm on Thursday.
“The factory manufactures towels and hospital equipment. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage will be determined later. However, no casualties have been reported so far,” he said.
According to Mohammad Jamir Hossain Zia, officer-in-charge of the EPZ police station under Chittagong Metropolitan Police, the fire originated in a warehouse on the sixth and seventh floors of the eight-story building around 2pm.
“There were no workers in the warehouse at the time. Those on the lower floors managed to escape safely, though a few sustained minor injuries while rushing downstairs and were given first aid,” he added.
The fire quickly spread through multiple floors, reaching down to the ground level.
Sixteen fire service units, along with a naval firefighting team, initially rushed to the scene, later joined by units from Bandar, Agrabad, EPZ, Kalurghat, and Chandanpura stations.
Eyewitnesses reported that the flames spread rapidly, engulfing large sections of the building.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and firefighting operations were continuing late into the evening to prevent further escalation.
