Fire rips through Krishi Market

A fire ripped through Mohammadpur Krishi Market early yesterday, burning down groceries and other goods worth several crore in over 200 shops.

Several hundred people will count massive losses or lose their jobs, shop owners said.

The one-storey building with corrugated iron roof is on a list of risky kitchen markets in the capital, according to firefighters.

Dhaka North City Corporation CEO Selim Reza said 217 shops had been damaged.

Salim Ullah Solu, president of the shop owners' association, said over 250 shops were severely damaged, adding that many of these shops had goods worth Tk 25-30 lakh.

He and several other shop owners said the fire was first seen near a bakery on one side of the market around 3:40am.

It seems the fire was caused either by a faulty electric wire or a mosquito coil, Lt Col Md Tajul Islam, director at Fire Service and Civil Defence, told reporters at the scene.

Since there is no water body close to the market that doesn't have fire safety equipment, firefighters had to partially rely on water provided by Dhaka Wasa and Bangladesh Navy to put out the flames. 

Tajul said the shop owners were earlier notified multiple times about the risk they were in and several awareness campaigns had been conducted there.

The fire spread really fast, collapsing the iron roofs and leaving a trail of devastation. After five hours of effort, 17 fire engines brought the fire under control around 9:25am, officials said. 

By 4:00am, the shop owners began to arrive at the scene hearing about the fire. They could do little but watch the towering flames engulf the entire kitchen market that also houses many clothing shops and a few jewellery stores.

Muhammad Hossain, a leader of the local traders' association, said just two fire trucks arrived almost half an hour after they were called. "By then the fire had spread."

Fire service Director Tajul said firefighters struggled because of the large crowd of onlookers.

Narrow alleys divide the rows of shops in the market, but those alleys are blocked by piles of goods, he said, adding that the first responders had to break in because no one had the keys to the collapsible gates.

Two people suffered minor injuries in the fire.

Muhammad Shamim, an employee of the traders' association office, said he reached the market before daybreak.

"I saw smoke coming out of Haque Bread and Bakery. Then we switched off the electricity connection to the market," he said, adding that only the bakeries and fish and meat shops have overnight electricity connections.

Abdul Hamid Khan Liton, who owns two jewellery shops, said he had been able to save the jewellery because he arrived just on time, but furniture and fittings worth almost Tk 50 lakh were gutted.

Most of the damaged shops used to sell groceries, clothes, crockeries and jewellery.

The part where fish, chicken, meat and egg are sold has not seen much damage.

City corporation CEO Selim said the traders had largely ignored the fire safety-related warnings.

Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Anisur Rahman said assistance would be provided to the affected traders.

Massive fires at Siddikbazar, Bangabazar, Chawkbazar, Nawabpur, New Super Market and a shopping mall near Science Laboratory caused substantial damage to thousands of shops earlier this year.

The fire service last night formed a committee to identify the cause of the fire and come up with a report in 15 work days.