Around 180 shops and two shanties were burnt to ashes in a devastating fire that broke out in Chittagong city’s Chotopul area yesterday night.
No causality, however, was reported in the fire incident.
Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Chittagong Headquarters Asadujjaman Sheikh told Dhaka Tribune that Somobay Singapore Market run by Agrabad Bohumukhi Somobay Samity Limited caught fire around 6:30pm, but reason behind the fire was not known immediately.
“Fifteen units of fire fighters from the port city’s Chandanpura, Nandankanon, Badar, EPZ and Agrabad fire stations rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze around 8:15pm,” he said.
President of Somobay Singapore Market Malik Samity Mohammad Tazul Islam Babu said there were a total of 314 shops in the market in which 180 shops were gutted.
He said: “The fire originated from an oven of a shanty owned by Chittagong City Corporation’s Ward Councilor Mohammad Sekandar and soon fire engulfed the entire market.
“Properties worth around Tk10 crores were gutted in the fire,”
At least 10 people were injured while they were trying to defuse the fire, he further added.
“There are shops of ceramics products, ready made garment products, cosmetics in the market. Almost all the shops of ready made garment’s products were gutted in the fire.”
But the councillor denied originating of the fire from his shanty. “The fire might occur from the market shops,” he said.
Deputy Director of Chittagong’s Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters said: “We will form a probe body to look into the reason behind the fire and total amount of gutted properties.”
The rear line shops of the market were more affected than the front line shops that indicated the fire occurred in the rear portion of the market and a shanty was behind the market, he said, adding that the fire probably originated from the shanty.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (west zone) Tanvir Arafat said two platoons of special reserve force and 20 policemen led by Officer-in-Charge of Halishahar police Station Syed Abu Mohammad Shahjahan were deployed on the spot to maintain law and order situation as well as to help the victims.