Fire breaks out at residential building in Chattogram’s Nalapara; 1 injured

A fire broke out at a seven-storey residential building in the South Nalapara area of Sadarghat, Chattogram’s Sadarghat, leaving one Fire Service member injured.

The blaze started at the building named SP Hyde at around 3am today (23 April). Upon receiving the news, two units from the Nandan Kanan Fire Service rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after nearly one and a half hours of effort.

According to the Fire Service, the building’s caretakers, Rubel, 33, and Rana, 22, were trapped in a room when the fire started. Firefighters later entered the building and rescued them by breaking the lock of a room on the seventh floor.

During the rescue operation, Jasim Uddin, a firefighter from the Nandankanan Fire Service, was seriously injured due to intense heat and heavy smoke. He was later taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for treatment. Doctors said he is now out of danger.

Speaking to The Business Standard, Warehouse Inspector Md Masud Rana of Nandan Kanan Fire Service and Civil Defence said, “Upon receiving news of the fire in the early hours, two units reached the spot swiftly. The fire was brought under control after more than an hour of effort. The two rescued individuals and the injured firefighter are currently doing well.”

He further said that the fire is initially suspected to have originated from an electrical short circuit. It first started on the sixth floor and later spread to the seventh floor.

The Fire Service said that the fire caused damages worth approximately Tk12 lakh, including furniture in the building.