Mid-night fire guts 5 shops , injures 10

Chandpur Correspondent :

A devastating midnight fire gutted five major wholesale shops along with all goods and commodities inside during the early hours of Friday at Bolakhal Bazar-a rapidly growing and always bustling market beside the Chandpur-Cumilla Regional Highway in the Bolakhal area under Hajiganj Upazila.

Witnesses said the fire broke out around 12:30 am due to an electrical short circuit and spread rapidly, engulfing the adjacent shops as well as the goods, commodities, and even the cash kept in their safes.

About 10 to 12 people sustained burn injuries while attempting, in vain, to douse the flames.

Upon receiving the information, firefighters from the Hajiganj Fire Station, led by Mohammad Baharuddin, rushed to the spot.

After nearly two hours of frantic efforts, two firefighting units managed to bring the blaze under control.

When contacted, Fire Station Leader Mohammad Baharuddin confirmed to this correspondent that the fire originated from an electrical short circuit.

The affected shops include Mithu Majumder’s drug store, cloth stores owned by Kartik Saha and Lytton Saha, Mofazzol Hossain’s hardware shop, and Shikder Stores.

All the shops were completely reduced to ashes before the firefighters could extinguish the flames.

None of the goods could be saved, said the devastated traders Kartik, Mofazzol, and others, with tears streaming down their faces.

According to an initial estimate by the affected shop owners, the fire caused losses amounting to over Tk 50 lakh.