Khagrachhari: 13 shops gutted in midnight fire at Guimara

At least 13 shops have been gutted in a fire at Jaliapara Bazar in Guimara upazila of Khagrachhari. The fire broke out late last night. Local residents, along with efforts from members of the army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and the Fire Service brought the fire under control.

According to Matiranga Fire Service Station, the fire was reported at around 1:40 am early on Sunday. Two fire service units then rushed to the scene and began efforts to douse the flames. The fire was finally brought under control around 3:55 am.

Md Harun, officer-in-charge of Matiranga Fire Service Station, said the gutted shops included fuel, furniture, and automobile parts stores, among others. Of the shops, one was a concrete structure, two were semi-pucca, and the rest were makeshift shacks.

The BGB also posted about the fire on its official Facebook page, stating that immediately after the fire broke out, local residents, BGB personnel, army members, and fire service teams jointly took part in extinguishing the flames. The estimated damage caused by the fire is believed to be around Tk 5-6 million (Tk 50-60 lakh).

BGB suspects the fire originated from a vehicle workshop in the market. It is thought that an electrical short circuit or a cigarette stub may have sparked the blaze.

When contacted, Guimara police station officer-in-charge Enamul Haque Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that no casualties had been reported. However, many businesses were completely reduced to ashes along with their goods.