A massive fire swept through a factory in Bagher Bazar area of Gazipur Sadar upazila on Wednesday, destroying valuables and damaging a nearby printing factory and a house.
The fire broke out at the Finix Coil factory around 12:55 pm and spread to the adjacent printing factory and house, said assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Kazi Nazmuzzaman.
Noticing smoke billowing from the factory, the workers tried to put the blaze under control but failed.
On information, nine firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control around 2:55 pm.
The cooling and dumping operations continued for several more hours.
The fire damaged almost everything inside the factory and spread to a nearby printing factory and a residential house, he said.
Law enforcement agencies evacuated residents from surrounding housed after the fire spread to a nearby house.
The fire originated in the chemical section where mosquito repellents are produced and quickly spread to a two-storey building.
Mosquito coils, cleaning agents, finished goods and office materials were all burnt, said Kazi Nazmuzzaman.
At least 500 workers who were inside the building at the were evacuated immediately through two gates.
Abu Russell, an employee at the preservative mixing section, said the fire erupted while mixing chemicals, bleaching powder and kerosene at a drum inside the factory.
Explosions occurred inside the factory which caused the fire to spread to another factory building.
A large crowd gathered near the spot, causing heavy traffic congestion on the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway.
Police, army personnel and RAB members were deployed to manage the situation.
The factory lacked adequate fire safety measures, said assistant director of FSCD Kazi Nazumuzzaman.
.”There is also a filling station next to the factory. Our firefighters acted with great skill and courage, otherwise the situation could have been far more disastrous,” he said.
The extent of the damage will be determined after an investigation, he added.