A chemical warehouse belonging to a shoe factory, Asia Rubber Industry, was ravaged by a fire that erupted in the early hours of Saturday in the historic Chawkbazar area of Old Dhaka.

The blaze ignited at approximately 3:30 am, quickly spreading and consuming the chemical warehouse, according to Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defense (Dhaka division) Saleh Uddin.

Upon receiving the alert, nine firefighting units promptly mobilized to the scene and managed to bring the flames under control by around 6 am.

Efforts are ongoing to fully extinguish the fire, which proved challenging due to the presence of plastic materials and adhesive used in shoe manufacturing stored within the warehouse, as noted by Saleh Uddin.

Complicating the firefighting operation were the narrow streets of the area, impeding access for emergency responders, and the scarcity of water resources, hampering efforts to procure adequate water supply.

At present, the cause of the fire remains unknown, prompting authorities to initiate an investigation with the formation of a probe committee.

Assessment of the extent of damages incurred by the fire will be conducted once the situation is stabilized.

The Chawkbazar area has previously witnessed tragic fire incidents, notably in 2019, when a devastating blaze erupted at a chemical warehouse, claiming the lives of 67 individuals and injuring 41 others while engulfing multiple adjacent buildings.