Tongi drug factory fire brought under control after 4 hours
A fire that broke out at Unit-2 of Drug International Limited in the Cherag Ali area of Tongi, Gazipur, was brought under control after nearly four hours. The fire broke out at the factory at around 10:15 am on Wednesday. As many as 21 firefighting units were working to bring the fire under control. The army and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) later joined the operation.
Director General of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate, Brigadier General Sultanul Afrain Zunaid confirmed that the fire was brought under control at around 2:00 pm today.
According to Fire Service sources, the fire began around 10:15 am at Unit-2 of Drug International Limited. Within moments, the flames spread across various parts of the factory. Flames and thick smoke were seen rising from the premises. Upon receiving the report, 21 units from fire stations in Gazipur, Tongi, Uttara and surrounding areas rushed to the scene.
Senior Station Officer of Tongi Fire Service Shahin Alam said that, considering the severity of the fire, personnel from various stations conducted joint firefighting operations. The operation was challenging because the factory building was made of steel, aluminium and glass. As different parts of the building caught fire rapidly, firefighters faced difficulties bringing the fire under control.
Talha Bin Zasim, an officer at the media cell of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that 14 units were initially working to douse the flames. More units were subsequently dispatched to the scene, bringing the total to 21 units engaged in the operation. At one point, personnel from the Army and BGB joined the firefighting efforts.
Medicines, production machinery and other materials stored inside the factory were reportedly damaged in the fire. However, the extent of the financial damage could not be assessed immediately. No casualties have been reported so far but there is no confirmed information on whether anyone was trapped inside.
Brigadier General Sultanul Afrain Zunaid stated that the fire is suspected to have originated from chemicals stored in the factory's four-story building. Firefighters are now carrying out damping operations to extinguish the remaining flames, he said, adding that the work would continue throughout Thursday.
Necessary documents have been requested from the factory authorities and an investigation is underway to determine whether the facility had adequate fire safety measures in place, he said.