Fire at Chattogram sugar mills yet to be doused

The fire that broke out at a sugar factory in the Karnaphuli Thana area of Chattogram is yet to be brought fully under control. The fire did not originate from any warehouse. The fire that ensued at around 4:00 pm Monday was seen still burning at around 7:00am today.

However, the fire service at around 10:30pm said the blaze has been extinguished.  

Some 13 units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, as well teams from army, navy and air force, worked to to douse the fire there. A committee has been formed to investigate the incident.

The sugar factory, S Alam Super Refined Sugar Industries Limited, is located in the Ichhanagar area on the bank of the river Karnaphuli. Around 500 workers are employed in the sugar mill.

The sugar mill is owned by the S Alam Group. Factory officials said that it had five warehouses.

S Alam Sugar Mills’ deputy general manager Rafiqul Islam said that the factory had about 60,000 tonnes of unrefined sugar.

Fire service’s assistant director Md Abdul Malek told reporters that a team of Bangladesh Air Force joined fire fighters in the effort to extinguish the fire at around 7:30pm. Later a team of Navy joined the drive. Bangladesh Army joined the effort at 9:00pm.  

Members of the fire service tried to bring the fire under control by bringing water directly from the Karnaphuli river.