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Seven to eight warehouses were gutted in a fire at Mansur Khan Plaza Market in Old Dhaka’s Chawkbazar, with the sixth floor suffering the heaviest damage.
The warehouses stored various goods, including umbrellas, cosmetics and attar (perfume). The extent of the financial losses has yet to be determined.
Assistant Director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate Kazi Nazmuzaman shared the information at a briefing on Tuesday morning.
He said the fire was brought under control at around 5:20am, but firefighters were still working to extinguish it completely as the warehouses were packed with goods. Smoke was occasionally emerging while damaged items were being removed.
Six fire service units remained at the scene, spraying water to put out the remaining flames.
Nazmuzaman said firefighters faced several challenges, including locked warehouse doors, narrow roads that hindered the movement of fire engines, inadequate ventilation and water shortages. Some warehouses had three to four padlocks and collapsible gates, forcing firefighters to cut through the locks to enter.
The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed. An electrical short circuit is a possible cause, but the fire service will investigate after extinguishing the blaze completely.
No information was found indicating that anyone lived in the building, he said. Shopkeepers and local residents assisted firefighters during the operation.
Four fire service personnel fell ill due to the heat and heavy smoke and were kept under hospital observation.