Fire destroys umbrella factory in Khulna

A major fire erupted early Friday at Rahman Umbrella Factory in the Boromirzapur area of Khulna, engulfing the entire five-story building and rapidly spreading to nearby areas.

Firefighters from eight units of Khulna Fire Service’s Sadar, Tutpara, and Khalishpur stations worked for about three and a half hours before bringing the fire under control early Friday morning. The entire five-story factory and its warehouse were destroyed by the fire.

Police and eyewitnesses said the fire began around 1:30am on the third floor of the five-story building. Within minutes, the fire spread through the entire building and also reached a nearby seven-story building. One of the two buildings was completely burned. Additionally, all the raw materials and umbrellas stored in the warehouse were turned to ashes.

Motiar Rahman, Deputy Director of Khulna Fire Service, said, “The five-story and seven-story buildings were attached to each other. After three and a half hours of effort, we were able to save the seven-story building, but the five-story building was completely destroyed. Narrow pathways inside the building made it difficult to control the fire. A committee has been formed to investigate the losses.”

However, the cause of the fire and the exact extent of the damage have not yet been determined.

Meanwhile, no factory owners were found at the site after the incident.