Officials said the fire originated from an electric short-circuit
around 2am in the factory that is located in Sonargaon’s Kanchpur Industrial
area.
“The fire spread quickly after starting from the weeding section, where
thread is spun out of raw cotton,” Demra fire service’s Senior Station Officer
Shawkat Ali Zoardar told bdnews24.com.
He said two fire-fighting units from the Demra station and another from
Narayanganj’s Hajiganj station rushed to the spot and controlled the fire after
three hours of frantic efforts.
Zoarder said there were no casualties as the factory was closed.
Opex-Sinha Group’s administrative officer Delowar Hossain said they
were yet to assess exact extent of the losses.
Factory fires are not uncommon in Bangladesh,
the largest exporter of readymade garments after China. They claim many lives and is
generally blamed on poor electric-wiring, unsafe working environment and lax
security measures.
In November last year, a devastating fire claimed more than 100 lives
in a garment factory in the Ashulia Industrial Zone. A recent fire in a
Mohammadpur garment factory led to a stampede, killing seven female workers.
Bangladesh has around 4,500
garments factories.
