Fire at SA Paribahan's Kakrail office doused after 4.5hrs

A fire that broke out at an office of SA Paribahan in the capital's Kakrail area was extinguished on Monday afternoon after four and a half hours of frantic efforts.

The fire started at 10am in the warehouse of SA Paribahan's Parcel and Courier Service office on the first floor of the three-storey building. Ten firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control in an hour, Fire Service Director Lt Col Rezaul Karim said.

However, firefighters struggled to douse the fire completely as firecrackers, stored in the warehouse, were exploding even after the blaze was brought under control, he added.

Later, twelve firefighting units managed to douse the fire around 2:30pm, according to the media cell of Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD).

Fire Service Director Rezaul said, "It is not acceptable to store crackers or chemicals with ordinary goods. The items should be stored and transported separately with special care.

"The Fire Service investigation will look into why there was a regulation violation."

The cause of the fire could not be known immediately, the fire official said, adding that they did not see adequate fire safety measures.

"We will also examine whether there was any chemical in the parcel items," Rezaul said.

No casualties were reported and the extent of damages is yet to be ascertained, he added.

SA Paribahan General Manager Asaduzzaman said that they were not aware of the presence of firecrackers in the parcel items.

"We will try to find out who used our service to send firecrackers," he added.