Cumilla EPZ fire tamed after 10hrs
After 10 hours of relentless efforts, firefighters doused the fire at RN Spinning Mills at Cumilla Export Processing Zone (EPZ) yesterday morning.
Ratan Kumer Nath, assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said, “Ten units of seven fire stations worked for more than 10 hours since the fire broke out.”
He added, “The factory was jam-packed with flammable acrylic fibre. Burning acrylic generates toxic gas. Our firefighters got tired quickly from inhaling the gas. But everyone is okay now. Though the firefighting system of EPZ is better than most other places, it could be more effective if fire hydrants were installed closer to one another. Those were far away from the factory.”
“The fire broke out at 9:30pm at the factory. No casualties were reported there,” he said.
RN Spinning is an entirely export-oriented factory. The Bangladesh-South Korea joint collaboration has an investment volume of US$235.53 million, according to factory sources.
Abul Fazal Mir, deputy commissioner of Cumilla, said, “We formed a five-member probe committee to calculate the total damages to the factory, and to reveal the causes of the fire.”
Syed Nurul Islam, superintendent of Cumilla police, monitored the firefighters' operations.
Fire engulfed massive portion of the factory. Machines and raw materials have been burnt to ashes. Factory steel structures fully collapsed.
Md Hafizur Rahman, general manager of Cumilla EPZ, said, “There were 28 fire hydrants that were used by the fire brigade. Only one hydrant did not function.”
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