A massive fire tore through a bustling market in the heart of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, reducing hundreds of shops to ashes in the early hours of September 14. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties as the inferno raged through the market before it opened for business.
The conflagration, which rapidly engulfed the Mohammadpur market, required the combined efforts of military forces and firefighters to bring it under control. It took an arduous six hours to contain the blaze due to the abundance of highly flammable items like cooking oil and plastics, as per officials.
Shahjahan Sikder, a fire service official, suggested that an electrical short circuit was likely the cause of the fire, although a formal investigation is pending.
Local shop owners faced the grim reality of their livelihoods turning to ashes.
"My family was dependent on this shop; what to do now? All burnt to ashes," one shop owner lamented.
Fires have become an all-too-familiar threat in densely populated Dhaka, a city that has experienced a construction boom in recent years, often without adequate safety measures in place. Incidents involving faulty gas cylinders, air conditioners, and substandard electrical wiring have frequently resulted in fires and explosions.
This latest blaze follows a similarly devastating incident in April when a fire erupted in a shopping complex in Dhaka. That fire resulted in several injuries to firefighters and the destruction of approximately 5,000 stores, highlighting the urgent need for improved safety standards and fire prevention measures in the city.
Local authorities are expected to review and reinforce safety regulations in response to this recent incident.
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