Fire at dyeing factory in city

A devastating fire yesterday gutted a huge quantity of yarns and chemicals of a dyeing and knitting factory at Shyampur in the capital.
All the materials kept in two storehouses of 'K Ali Dyeing and Finishing Factory' were burnt to ashes but there was no casualty. A few materials of the three-storey office building were also burnt down.
Factory authorities claimed the loss at around Tk 17 crore while the Fire Service and Civil Defence officials put it to Tk 5 crore.
The fire service officials suspect an electric short circuit caused the fire but factory officials alleged it originated from a nearby steel mill.
Fire service sources said seven units of fire fighters from three stations fought for over six hours to douse the fire that broke out around 5:30am.
Security guard Shahjahan Mridha of the factory, who was on duty during the incident, said the fire broke out first at the Northwestern side. "But it engulfed both the storehouses and partially the factory within a short time," he added.
"The effort of the fire fighters to douse the fire went in vain because of the yarns and chemicals", said manager of the factory Humayun Kabir.
The Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence-Dhaka Abdur Rashid denied the allegation of being late to arrive at the spot and said their effort saved the machinery and office.