Fire at Sitakunda cotton factory under control after 20 hours
The fire that started at Unitex Group's cotton warehouse in Chattogram's Choto Kumira area on Saturday was finally brought under control after 20 hours.
The fire was brought under control around 6:30am and now dumping work is being done, confirmed Abdul Malek, assistant director of Chattogram fire service.
Army officials are still present at the scene but Bangladesh Navy and Air Force teams have left the site for now, he added.
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Twenty two units including those of Fire Service, Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy, and Bangladesh Air Force worked to douse the fire which broke out around 10:30am on Saturday.
Fire Service sources said water shortage and cotton being a flammable substance made it difficult to douse the fire, hence the delay.
Meanwhile, a rescue team of Bangladesh Army – USAR (Unit Search and Rescue Team) also arrived at the scene on Saturday.
A committee headed by the deputy director of the local government department has been formed to investigate the incident. The committee has been asked to report within 5 days.
It has come to light that Lokman Hossain, the owner of SL Ship Breaking Yard of Sitakunda, is the owner of the warehouse standing on 1.9 acres of land in Choto Kumira.
He leased the warehouse to Unitex Group a few years ago. Since then, the Unitex Group has been using the warehouse to store cotton for their spinning mills. Tonnes of cotton were piled there by trucks every day.
On 4 March, seven people were killed and some 30 were injured in a massive explosion at the Seema Oxygen Plant in the Kadamarsul area of Sitakunda.
