Tongi: The Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) has urged the public to avoid the vicinity of a chemical warehouse in Tongi, which suffered extensive damage from a fire on Monday afternoon, due to potential health hazards. “We’re requesting the common people not to move within the 100-meter radius of the chemical godown in Tongi as it may cause health risks,” stated Saleh Uddin, Deputy Director of the Dhaka division of the FSCD, during a media briefing at the site.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, gas continues to leak from the warehouse, posing a significant risk to public health. The fire service has enforced a restriction on public access within a 100-meter radius after evaluating the site with two chemical engineers and professors from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
The area remains hazardous, with residual heat and smoke potentially igniting another fire. The FSCD has cordoned off the danger zone with tape and urged the public to heed the warning and stay clear. “We have restricted 100-meter radius area by putting a mark with tape. We urged all to avoid the restricted areas,” Saleh Uddin emphasized.
The fire erupted at the chemical warehouse located at Sahara Market in Tongi, Gazipur, at approximately 3:29 pm on Monday. It took about two and a half hours for firefighters to bring the blaze under control, by 7 pm the same day. The incident resulted in injuries to four firefighters following an explosion at the site while they were attempting to extinguish the flames.
Firefighters Shamim Ahmed (42) and Nurul Huda (40) sustained nearly 100 percent burn injuries, while Fire Officer Khondoker Jannatul Nayem (35) and firefighter Joy Hasan (24) suffered 42 percent and five percent burn injuries, respectively. Tragically, Shamim Ahmed succumbed to his injuries around 3:00 pm today at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (NIBPS), while the other injured firefighters are currently receiving treatment at the facility.
Shamim Ahmed’s funeral prayer, Namaz-e-Janaza, was conducted at the FSCD headquarters this evening. A resident surgeon at NIBPS informed BSS that “Condition of two firemen, Nurul Huda and Nayem is still critical.”
Earlier, Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury visited the injured firefighters at the burn institute, promising them the best possible medical care. In a statement later, the Home Adviser expressed profound sorrow and condolences over the death of firefighter Shamim Ahmed, extending heartfelt sympathies to his grieving family.