A devastating fire broke out at a multi-storey building in the Babubazar area of Keraniganj early Saturday.

Fire Service officials said they received information about the blaze around 5:30 am.

On-the-spot observations showed that a jute waste (jhut) factory is located on the ground floor of the 12-storey building adjacent to Babubazar. The fire spread up to the second floor, sending thick plumes of smoke across the entire area.

Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence (Operations and Maintenance) Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam said efforts to douse the flames were being hampered as the building housed a jute waste godown.

“We are trying to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings,” he said.

He added that 42 people were rescued using stairways and no casualties were reported so far.

Lt Col Tajul Islam said no presence of chemicals was found inside the building. The cause of the fire could not be determined yet, though locals suspect it may have originated from an electrical short circuit. The extent of damage has not been assessed.

He also noted that the building is a mixed-use residential and commercial structure.

“There are still flare-ups on the second floor, while smoke persists on other floors,” he said.