Fire at Meghna Group tissue factory still burns after 13 hours, building tilted

The building has tilted to one side and the ground of the top two floors collapsed, the Fire Service says

The fire at Meghna Group's tissue factory in Narayanganj's Sonargaon Upazila has not been completely extinguished in 13 hours.

Meanwhile, the building of the factory tilted to one side and the ground of the top two floors – third and fourth – collapsed, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

This has put the steel-structure building at risk.

Abdul Mannan, deputy assistant director of the Narayanganj Fire Service and Civil Defence, said: "It is unsafe to work inside the building to put out the fire. Therefore, efforts are under way to control the blaze by sprinkling water with the help of a turn table ladder [TTL] from outside.

"The fire-fighting became difficult due to tissue, paper, and tissue-making raw materials inside the factory. When it comes under control on one side, another end sets afire. We will continue our work until the flames are completely extinguished."

The fire broke out at a four-storey building of Meghan Pulp and Paper Mills Ltd, a tissue manufacturing company of Meghna Group of Industries, in Jhauchar of the Upazila’s Pirojpur union around 5am.

A dozen units of firefighters from Dhaka, Munshiganj, and Narayanganj and the conglomerate’s own fire team initially brought the blaze under control around 9am.

However, no casualties have been reported in the incident so far.

A factory worker said the building was used as both a workshop and a warehouse. About 400 people work at the factory. Several workers were at the factory during the incident. They left the scene safely after the fire began.

Mannan said, “The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The probe committee will work to determine the extent of damage after the fire is completely extinguished.”