Fire at New Mooring Terminal disrupts container handling

CHATTOGRAM, June 22: A fire broke out at the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) of Chittagong Port on Monday afternoon, forcing a temporary suspension of container handling operations at Jetty No. 4.

Officials of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) said the blaze originated in the engine of a Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) crane, a vital piece of equipment used for moving containers within the terminal.

Container handling activities at the jetty were suspended immediately after the fire erupted around 2:30pm in RTG 4014 at Berth No. 4 in the southern section of the NCT, port sources said.

The flames spread to the yard area in front of the berth, and several cargo-laden containers caught fire, they added.

Confirming the incident, CPA Acting Secretary Nasir Uddin said the Chittagong Port Fire Service personnel rushed to the scene immediately and began firefighting operations.

Later, teams from the Fire Service and the Bangladesh Navy joined the operation and brought the fire under control, he said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. CPA officials said an investigation would be conducted after the completion of firefighting operations to determine the origin of the blaze.

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