Four firefighters burnt as Tongi chemical warehouse erupts in flames

A Fire Service official reports that three firefighters are in critical condition

A huge fire has broken out at a chemical warehouse near Sahara Market in Tongi, Gazipur, leaving four firefighters burnt, three of them reportedly in critical condition.

The injured were admitted to the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.

The fire started around 3:30pm on Monday, and seven units rushed to the scene by 3:45pm and tried to contain the blaze.

Fire Service media officer Talha Bin Jasim confirmed that three firefighters -- Nurul Huda, 40, Joy Hasan, 24, and Shamim Ahmed, 42 -- alongside officer Khondkar Jannatul Naim, 38, were injured while trying to douse the flames.

Talha added, “Three of them are in critical condition and have been transferred to the burn unit for treatment.”

Shawon Bin Rahman, the resident surgeon at the burn institute’s emergency department, told bdnews24.com: “We have started treatment for the patients who arrived here. The extent of their burns will be assessed after tests.”

Locals reported that the tin-roofed warehouse was part of a garment factory. After a sudden blast, people inside the building rushed out.

Once the Fire Service began extinguishing the flames, a chemical drum reportedly exploded, injuring several individuals.

Around 6pm, Abdul Mannan, deputy assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence (Dhaka Zone-3), said the fire was mostly under control.

The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage have yet to be identified.