9 shops burnt in Lakshmipur fire
Nine businesses, including fuel oil and gas cylinder shops, were burnt in a fire in Lakshmipur. A cylinder exploded while repairing a gas stove in a shop, causing the fire to spread rapidly. It is learnt that the shops and goods were burnt, causing a loss of around Tk 75 lakh. The accident took place at around 8:30 pm on Tuesday (February 24) at Kamarhat Bazar in Chandraganj Union of Sadar Upazila.
Lakshmipur Fire Service and Civil Defence Station Officer Ranjit Kumar Saha confirmed the matter at around 11:30 pm and said, “Our two units managed to bring the fire under control after trying for about 45 minutes. Out of these, 9 shops were burnt. However, it is not possible to say what caused the fire. We will be able to provide details about the fire after the investigation. It took us time to reach the spot due to the long distance.”
The fire service official said that according to the traders, the fire started from Alif Enterprise in the market. There were gas cylinders, octane and diesel fuel. There was also electricity at the time of the fire. It is not possible to say what caused the fire right now.
Regarding the extent of the damage, Ranjit Kumar Saha said, “The extent of the damage could not be determined immediately. The extent of the damage will be known after talking to the traders.” Local sources said that a fire suddenly broke out at the gas cylinder and fuel oil shop of Alif Enterprise during Tarawih prayers. Local traders believe that the incident occurred due to a gas cylinder explosion. Since there were fuel oil and gas cylinders in the shop, the fire spread immediately.
Laxmipur Deputy Commissioner SM Mehedi Hasan said in the media and district administration’s WhatsApp group that the cylinder exploded while repairing a gas stove at Alif Store, which caused a fire. The fire also spread to nearby shops. No casualties were reported. However, a member of the fire service was injured while trying to control the fire. It is said that the fire caused a loss of 70-75 lakh taka. The affected traders have been ordered to provide necessary financial assistance.
