Fire at Chawkbazar market remains uncontrolled for over five hours

A fire that broke out at a shop in Manzur Khan Plaza Market beside the AC Mosque in Choto Katra area of Chawkbazar in Old Dhaka had yet to be brought under control as of 10:15pm on Monday.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) received information about the blaze at 5:04pm. Three units reached the scene at 5:22pm and began firefighting operations. Six more units later joined them, but the fire continued to burn after more than five hours of efforts.

FSCD media officer Talha Bin Jasim confirmed the information, saying the cause of the fire, the extent of the damage and whether anyone had been injured were not yet known. 

However, there had been no reports of anyone trapped inside the building so far, he added.

He said that the fire broke out on the sixth floor of the seven-storey building, where several warehouses were located.

“All the warehouses are locked. Firefighters have to break the locks to enter and extinguish the fire, which is taking time,” he said.

Earlier, around 9:00pm, fire service control room official Shahjahan Hossain said thick smoke and a shortage of water were making it difficult to bring the blaze under control. 

He added that more firefighting units could be deployed if necessary.

Following the incident, electricity supply was cut off across the Chawkbazar area. Police and residents were also working to move crowds away from the scene to facilitate firefighting operations.

Residents said the narrow roads made it difficult for fire service vehicles to reach the spot. By then, flames had spread outside the building as the neighbouring building was very close to it.

They also said tangled electrical and Wi-Fi cables made it difficult for firefighters to spray water on the fire. The large crowd at the scene also made their work harder.

All nearby markets were closed after the fire broke out. People working inside the affected building took shelter on the roof of an adjacent structure, but they have since been rescued.

Residents also said the fire was spreading to another neighbouring building. 

Meanwhile, traders were trying to remove their goods from the market, although the narrow alleys were hampering both the movement of firefighters and their efforts to control the blaze.

Even around 10:30pm, the flames appeared to be as intense as they had been in the early stages of the fire in the afternoon.

Local people said the fire had originated in a warehouse. According to traders in the area, the warehouses stored various products, including gas lighters, bags and costumes.

In December last year, a fire broke out on the third floor of a three-storey residential building in Dalpatti area of Rahmatganj, in Old Dhaka's Chawkbazar area.