Blaze erupts at 12-storey building in Keraniganj, 45 rescued

A fire broke out early this morning (13 December) on the ground floor of a 12-storey building in the Babu Bazar area of Keraniganj, Dhaka.

Fire service sources said 45 people have been rescued from the building and no casualties have been reported, reports BSS. 

Anwarul Islam, media officer at the fire service, said the incident was reported at 5:37am and that firefighting units reached the scene within eight minutes at 5:45am.

The fire was brought under control after nearly 12 hours at 5:03pm, Fire Service control room official Talha Bin Jasim confirmed.

A total of 18 firefighting units from Keraniganj, Sadarghat and Siddiq Bazar fire stations were working to bring the blaze under control.

The cause of the fire could not be determined immediately.

Fire Service Senior Staff Officer (Media Cell) Md Shahjahan Shikdar said the fire-hit structure consists of several separate buildings but has a single basement. It is a mixed-use commercial and residential building, he added.

The ground and first floors house various garment product shops and small scrap warehouses, while the upper floors contain residential quarters, Shahjahan said, adding that the basement has only two entry points.

Firefighters had to cut open the locks and shutters of most shops to extinguish the fire, which is why the operation was taking longer, the official explained.

Meanwhile, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed at the site of the fire to assist in maintaining law and order and supporting rescue operations, BSS reports. 

BGB members were deployed to help secure the area, control crowds and ensure the smooth movement of emergency responders during the operation.

Shariful Islam, public relations officer of the force, confirmed the BGB deployment.