Own Correspondent: A special team of the army has joined to control the fire in the cotton godown in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong. They arrived at the scene on Saturday (March 11) around nine o’clock.
Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Abul Basar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman said that four units of the army along with the fire service will work to put out the fire. A team led by Lt. Col. Mahmood has started firefighting. Navy and Air Force Phayara Fighting Teams are also on the spot.
He also said that Unitex had 2,700 tons of cotton in stock here. Due to these combustible materials, extinguishing a fire becomes difficult.
Earlier on Saturday, around 10:30 a.m., a fire broke out in a cotton godown operated on rent near Unotex, owned by Lokman, in the Hingiri Para area adjacent to the Chhota Kumira Bypass Road of Kumira Union of Upazila. Nine units of the fire service are working to control the fire after receiving the information. The fire was not brought under control until 9:50 p.m.
Nurul Alam Dulal, senior station officer of Sitakunda Fire Service, told Kalbela, “The incident of late arrival is not true. If there is a fire somewhere, the authorities first try to put it out. When the fire increased, he informed the service.
At seven o’clock in the evening, he said, the fire had not yet been brought under control. However, nine units of the fire service are continuing to try. It will take more time to bring the fire under control.
Expressing regret, the official said that the fire spread rapidly due to a lack of water. Opposite the cotton warehouse was the depot of Nemsan Container Limited. They did not give out water on time. When the flames appeared to have damaged their depot, they disconnected the water from it around 1 a.m.
This fire service official also said that it is difficult to put out the cotton fire. It is very difficult to bring the fire under control if there is not enough water. The water we give falls on the tin itself. Trying to get water inside Due to the intense heat of the fire, it has become difficult to go ahead and give water.
When asked about the origin of the fire, he said, “We don’t know from where the fire started.” But I heard from the mouths of the locals that while working with gas cylinders, sparks fell into the cotton. From there, the fire spread around.
Shahadat Hossain, Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), visited the site and said, “I heard from the locals that the fire started during renovation work at the cotton depot with gas cylinders. Nothing can be said at this time except for the investigation.
