Although the devastating fire that broke out at a godown of S Alam Refined Sugar Industries Limited at Ichanagar in the city was brought under control, the flames are yet to be doused completely after 19 hours. 

The fire that erupted at around 4pm Monday was seen still burning at around 11am today.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) department Assistant Director Md Abdul Malek said they brought the fire under control around 10:30pm on Monday and are trying to save the adjoining sugar factory.

Some 15 firefighting units of various FSCD stations, as well teams from the army, navy and air force, worked to douse the fire there, he said.

The FSCD tried to douse the fire by bringing water directly from the River Karnaphuli, he said.  

On the other hand, a seven-member probe committee headed by Additional District Magistrate Mamunur Rahman has also been formed to investigate the incident.

Officials of the group, police and the district administration were also seen on the spot closely monitoring the development of the situation.

Mentionable, the sugar factory, S Alam Refined Sugar Industries Limited, is located in the Ichhanagar area on the bank of the River Karnaphuli. 

S Alam Group officials said the fire originated at warehouse 1, which housed one lakh tonnes of raw sugar.

All the raw materials have been gutted in the fire, they said.

S Alam Group Executive Director (ED) Subrata Kumar Bhoumick informed that the purchasing cost of the raw sugar averaged between $600 and $700 per tonne.

“There were two lakh tonnes of raw sugar at several warehouses and more on vessels in the river,” he said, adding that only S Alam and City Group store the raw sugar in the country.

Subrata Kumar said two units of the factory have a total production capacity of 2,500 tonnes per day. 

Some 1,200 workers worked at the factory in three shifts and some 400 were working during the fire incident. 

The production at the factory continued to meet the demands for the upcoming Ramadan season.