A fire broke out at a wood pile near Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant at Ishwardi upazila in Pabna district on Thursday afternoon.
According to Abul Hashem, senior station master of Rooppur Green City Fire Service, the blaze started around 12:20 PM at an abandoned wood pile along the Padma River on the plant’s eastern side and quickly spread. The wood was stored for use in ongoing construction work at the project site.
Eight firefighting units were dispatched to the scene and managed to bring the fire under control after nearly an hour.
Abdur Razzak, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Pabna, said the Rooppur project area is under strict security surveillance.
He added that the cause of the fire is not yet confirmed, but initial reports suggest it may have been triggered by a burning cigarette.
An investigation is currently underway, added the Fire service official.