Play store
A fire broke out late Sunday night at an office of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project, prompting authorities to form an investigation committee.
The fire, which was confined to two rooms of a temporary building outside the plant’s main facilities, did not affect the construction or commissioning activities of the nuclear power project, officials said.
No one was injured in the incident. Firefighters responded quickly and brought the blaze under control.
The fire damaged the BAEC server room and nearby offices, destroying computers, air conditioners, electrical equipment, important documents and parts of the internet server system.
Saikat Ahmed, senior scientific officer (information) and project focal point at BAEC, said the committee would determine the cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage.
Officials said the fire may have originated from a fault in the indoor unit of a split-type air conditioner, although the exact cause has yet to be confirmed.
They said backup copies of the affected documents are safely stored with the project authorities, so there has been no disruption to information management or project operations.
The investigation committee has already begun its work in line with the project’s fire safety procedures. The Ministry of Science and Technology, the administrative ministry, has also been informed.
The incident reportedly occurred around 3am on September 7, although it came to light on September 8. Authorities said the situation is now fully under control and all construction and commissioning activities at the Rooppur plant are continuing as normal.