Factory fire in CEPZ exposes serious safety lapses

Bangla Press Desk:  The seven-storey building that caught fire in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) area did not have a fire safety certificate, the Fire Service said. 

The Fire Service has stated that the building’s construction and management did not comply with safety and building regulations, which significantly delayed the firefighting operation.

Jasim Uddin, Divisional Deputy Director of the Fire Service, after inspecting the scene on Friday morning said, “The fire was brought under control through a coordinated effort by the Fire Service, the Army, the Navy and the Police after 17 hours of operations.”

He explained that the fire at the Adams Caps and Textile Ltd and Jihong Medical Company Ltd building burned for an extended period due to non-compliance with safety codes during its design and construction. “Adequate space was not maintained on either side of the building. The gap between adjacent structures was too narrow, preventing firefighters from accessing those sides to control the blaze,” he added.

Jasim Uddin further noted that goods were stored from the fifth to the eighth floors, while production activities were being carried out on the lower floors— a clear violation of building management rules. “These irregularities made it much more difficult to contain the fire,” he said.

No casualties were reported in the incident, which officials described as a major relief. “The EPZ authorities had an effective evacuation plan in place, which ensured that all workers were safely moved out,” the Fire Service official said.

The firefighting operation began around 2am with the help of two advanced cranes, which played a crucial role in bringing the situation under control.

Fire Service officials said their primary challenge was to prevent the blaze from spreading to other sections of the factory, where temperatures had reached between 800 and 1,000 degrees Celsius. Nearby paint storage facilities posed a serious risk of the fire escalating further.

They credited the successful containment to the tireless efforts of firefighters, supported by the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, who played a vital role in controlling the blaze and preventing a larger disaster.

BP/SP