A fire, reportedly caused by a leaking gas cylinder at a restaurant, destroyed 13 residential units, the restaurant and another shop owned by an expatriate in Sreepur, Gazipur, on Sunday morning.
The damage is estimated at around Tk50 lakh.
The fire broke out at around 9am at the property of Nishat Dhali, who lives in Italy. The property is located in the Gargarhia Master Bari area of Sreepur municipality, opposite the Denimac factory.
Two units of the Fire Service rushed to the scene after receiving the alert and brought the blaze under control after about half an hour. No casualties or injuries were reported.
Babul Mia, a relative of the owner, said Nishat, who previously lived in Dubai, bought the property around 18 months ago. It comprised 13 residential units and two shops.
The residential units were rented out to workers from nearby garment factories, while one of the shops at the front of the property was being used as a restaurant.
According to Babul, the fire started after a gas cylinder leaked at the restaurant before spreading rapidly to the residential units behind it. Local residents tried to put out the flames, but all 13 units and the furniture inside them were destroyed.
Nurul Karim, station officer of the Maona Fire Service, said firefighters brought the blaze under control within around 30 minutes of arriving at the scene.
He said the exact extent of the damage would be determined after an investigation.
