20131218 Bangladesh Khagrachharhi police station fire
Bangladesh Dec 18 2013 “Building”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Khagrachharhi police station fire
Updated: 2013-12-18-10:13
A fire ravaged the Manikchharhi Police Station in Khagrachharhi district early on Wednesday gutting the armoury, wireless radio room and the lock-up.
Manikchharhi Upazila headquarters is about 60km away from Khagrachharhi, a district in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
“The fire was caused by an electrical short circuit,” said Rafiqul Islam, Deputy Assistant Director at Khagrachharhi fire station.
As a television exploded in the fire, the flame spread around the 106-foot length semi pucca office, he said.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Keshab Chakravarty said the fire broke out around 6am on Wednesday and spread rapidly.
The local fire service brought the fire under control at 9.30am after around two and a half hours of fire fighting, he said.
OC Chakravarty said the fire fighting effort was difficult as it was risky to go near the burning police station as the ammunition and gunpowder stored there could explode.
He said locals joined the army and the administration to control the fire.
“Nothing in the police station could be saved as most of the police personnel were deployed in the field in view of the Opposition’s blockade,” said Chakravarty.
“Only those who were in the police station managed to come out safely.”
The exact cause of the fire was not known, but OC Chakravarty suspects electrical short circuit may have caused it.
A total of 450 ammunition and 65 various kinds of arms were gutted, Ramgarh Circle assistant superintendent of police Md Shahjahan Miah told bdnews24.com
“Among the charred arms were LMG, SMG shortguns, Chinese rifles and several licensed arms belonging to different citizens,” he said.
According to an initial estimate, the loss could be around Tk 15 million, he said.
Guimara Region’s commander Brigadier General Md Anwarul Islam, Superintendent of Police Sheikh Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Manikchhari Upazila chairman Md Abdul Jabbar and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sanjida Sharmin visited the site.
Websource：Bdnews24.com
http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/12/18/khagrachharhi-police-station-fire