Gazipur sweater factory fire leaves 70 workers ill

A fire that tore through an eight-storey sweater factory in Gazipur's Degerchala area on Saturday left around 70 workers suffering from smoke inhalation, although firefighters managed to rescue all those trapped and avert any major loss of life.

The blaze erupted on the third floor of the Matrix Sweater factory at around 2:45 pm and subsequently spread to other floors, enveloping the building in dense black smoke. Firefighters initially deployed three units from the Gazipur Chowrasta Modern Fire Station; however, as the flames intensified, reinforcements arrived from the Konabari, Gazipur and Rajendrapur fire stations. Consequently, nine units equipped with firefighting and rescue apparatus took part in the operation, which brought the fire under control at around 6 pm after more than three hours.

Meanwhile, rescuers located approximately 70 workers trapped in different parts of the building and evacuated them after they developed breathing difficulties and other complications caused by the heavy smoke. The affected workers were taken to hospitals, and no major casualties were reported. According to Gazipur Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Saidul Alam Chowdhury, the operation was hampered by the absence of nearby ponds or adequate natural water sources, as well as the factory's lack of an effective in-house firefighting system.

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Nevertheless, firefighters succeeded in forestalling what could have been a far graver tragedy, and damping operations continued after the blaze was contained. The precise cause of the fire and the extent of the financial losses remain unknown, while the Fire Service is preparing to form an investigation committee to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.