A fire at a hardware shop in Bishwanath upazila of Sylhet early Wednesday burned goods worth around Tk 25 lakh.
The blaze broke out around 5am at “Messrs Enamul Haque & Brothers” in Singerkach Bazar under Daulatpur Union.
According to locals, seven workers who install tube wells were sleeping inside the shop.
They woke up after feeling the heat and managed to open the shutter and get out safely.
Initially, locals tried to douse the fire before firefighters arrived. Later, two units of Bishwanath Fire Service rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after about an hour of effort.
All goods inside the shop were destroyed.
There were fears that the fire could spread to an adjacent furniture shop, but quick action by firefighters prevented a major disaster there.
Shop director Saidul Islam and his cousin Amir Ali said that they suspect an electrical short circuit might have caused the fire.
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Additionally, they informed that the shop was a dealer of RFL, Gazi and A-One companies and the losses would be around Tk 25 lakh.
Bishwanath Fire Service Station Officer Akramul Islam said, “A battery-run van inside the shop may have exploded due to overcharging and sparked the fire.”