Fire breaks out in Noakhali building, 35 rescued

A fire broke out at a building in Companiganj, Noakhali, on Tuesday morning, August 18. Over 20 people took shelter on the roof of the building. Fire service personnel rescued 20 people from the roof and another 15 from inside, safely evacuating them .

Preliminary estimates suggest the fire caused damage worth approximately Tk 1 crore to the ground floor, warehouse and second floor of the building. Two fire service units brought the blaze under control within half an hour. The building houses a showroom of Walton and several other brand outlets.

The incident occurred around 10:30am at Shahjalal Market in Basurhat Bazar of the upazila.

Eyewitnesses said the fire originated from a plastic warehouse on the ground floor of Shahjalal Market in the morning. It quickly spread throughout the building. Upon receiving the news, two units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control within 30 minutes. They also rescued 20 people who had taken shelter on the roof and another 15 trapped inside, moving them to safety.

Mohammad Farid Ahmed, Assistant Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Noakhali, said two units from Companiganj and Kabirhat rushed to the scene upon receiving the news and brought the fire under control within half an hour. They also safely rescued 20 people trapped on the roof and another 15 inside the building. It is initially believed that the fire may have originated from a warehouse on the ground floor.