A fierce fire that broke out in a five-storey textile mill at Batjuri in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur yesterday afternoon could not be doused till filing of this report around 12:30am last night. Firefighters were still trying to douse the fire. Maj Shakil Newaz, director (operation) of Fire Service and Civil Defense (FSCD), told The Independent around 12:30 that they were still trying to control the fire. “At this point, we can’t say how long it will take. The smoke is still bellowing from the top floor and we still cannot get up there,” he said. No casualties, however, was reported from the scene.
Brig Gen Ali Ahmed, director general of the FSCD, was present at the spot and looking after the overall operation.
Earlier, fire service sources said the fire broke out on the second floor of the iron-structure building around 1:45 pm and it soon spread to the whole building. On information, 14 firefighting units from Gazipur, Kaliakoir, Tongi, Mawna, and Bhaluka rushed in to douse the blaze.
Joydepur fire station officer Hasibul Islam said they were failing to supply enough water since the structure did not have enough windows or doors.