Fire destroys top deck of a launch in Dhaka's Sadarghat

The cause of the fire on the three-storey vessel is yet to be determined, but no casualties were reported in the incident

A fire has burnt down the top floor of a three-deck launch in Dhaka's Sadarghat.

The Mayur-7, docked at pontoon No. 22 of the terminal's Lalkuthi Ghat, caught fire around 11 am on Friday, according to the fire service.

A video circulating on social media captured thick clouds of smoke billowing from the vessel.

Later, several firefighting units joined the efforts to douse the flames and took control of the situation after an hour.

The third deck was made up entirely of cabins, said Sadarghat Warehouse Inspector Mahmudul Hasan, whose unit was the first to arrive at the scene.

"When we arrived, the entirety of the third floor was shrouded in smoke. We rescued two people who were trapped there," said Mahmudul.

The emergency workers battled the fire on the top deck from the second floor of the vessel, according to him.

Mahmudul suspects that the fire may have started in a cabin on the third storey. He narrowed down the causes of the fire to an electric short-circuit, a burning cigarette or a mosquito coil.

Pointing out that two cabins on the second storey were slightly damaged, he did not rule out the possibility of the fire originating there before being pushed up to the top floor by the wind.

"The cause of the fire and the extent of damage cannot be ascertained without an investigation."

Sadarghat typically harbours launches travelling to and from the south. The Mayur-7 operates on the Dhaka-Chandpur route.

While Barishal-bound vessels usually leave Sadarghat in the afternoon, launches heading to Chandpur depart in the morning.

In the wake of the incident, other launches anchored at the jetty were moved to safety.