In separate incidents, a ceramics (tiles) factory along with roadside cloth and shoe shops were engulfed in flames in Sreepur of Gazipur.
The fire erupted at Mir Ceramics factory in Mulaid village of Telihati union in the upazila at 11:30pm on Sunday, and at a cloth shop on the pavement adjacent to Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in MC Bazar of the same union on Monday morning.
Belal Ahmed, station officer of Mauna Fire Service in Sreepur, said that the fire originated on the finishing floor of Mir Ceramics factory in Telihati around 11:30pm. Upon receiving the information, two units of Mauna Fire Service from Sreepur rushed to the scene to contain the blaze.
As the fire intensified, four units, including two additional units from Rajendrapur Modern Fire Service, battled for about one and a half hours to bring it under control.
The cause of the fire and the extent of damage are yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, a fire broke out in around seven shoe and cloth shops located on the footpath of MC Bazar along the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway on Monday.
Firefighters from Mauna Fire Service worked for an hour to extinguish the flames. However, all the merchandise in four of the shops was consumed by the fire.
Nasir Uddin, a cloth merchant, recounted receiving news of the fire in the market before Fajr prayers.
"I hurried to the market and found my shop engulfed in flames. By the time the fire service personnel brought the fire under control, all the goods in my shop were destroyed," he added.
Shoe trader Salim Mia shared his dismay, saying: "Upon hearing about the fire, I rushed to the market and witnessed my shop ablaze. I couldn't salvage a single item. I watched helplessly as my shop burned down."
Another shopkeeper, Lal Mia, lamented: "My house is three kilometres away from the market. When I arrived to open the shop in the morning, everything had turned to ashes. My family's livelihood depended on the shop on the footpath. Now, we are left with no choice but to sit by the roadside."
Belal Ahmed, station officer of Mauna Fire Service, said that two fire service units responded promptly and managed to bring the fire under control. The initial cause of the fire remains unknown, and a comprehensive assessment of the damage will be conducted later.
