PABNA, Bangladesh — Power and internet services remained partially disrupted at several key facilities of Bangladesh’s under-construction Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project nearly 40 hours after a fire broke out at a Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) facility in Ishwardi, Pabna, officials and project sources said.
The fire broke out at around 3 a.m. on Sunday at the server room of the BAEC’s Pioneer Base inside the Rooppur project area. It quickly spread smoke and flames to several adjacent rooms, damaging computers, air conditioners, electrical equipment, important documents and components of the internet server system.
Four units of the Ishwardi Fire Service responded to the incident and brought the fire under control after a prolonged operation.
Following the fire, electricity was cut off to the Pioneer Base and two nearby buildings. Internet connections were also disrupted at several important facilities operated by the Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Ltd. (NPCBL) and BAEC.
As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, about 40 hours after the incident, electricity and internet services had not been fully restored at several key locations within the project, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The Customs Building and a canteen were also reportedly without electricity, resulting in water shortages at the affected facilities. Workers at the project have faced additional hardship amid high temperatures because of the prolonged disruption to electricity and water supplies.
Pabna Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Md. Sadekul Bari said firefighters and senior officials rushed to the project site after receiving the alert.
“Four units from Ishwardi worked to bring the fire under control,” he said, adding that an electrical short circuit was initially suspected as the cause.
However, Bari said the exact cause of the fire would be determined after an investigation.
Md. Shahidul Islam, station master of Rooppur Greens City Modern Fire Service, said several computers, air conditioners, documents, electrical equipment and internet-server components at the BAEC office were destroyed in the fire.
He said the extent of the financial damage could not immediately be determined.
The prolonged disruption to power and internet services has affected normal operations at the project, according to project sources. The damage to the server room has also raised concerns over the possible loss or damage of important data, documents and technical equipment.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Rooppur project director Dr. Karib Hossain were unsuccessful. He did not answer several phone calls, and no response was received to a subsequent text message seeking comment on the incident.
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is one of Bangladesh’s largest infrastructure projects and is being developed in Ishwardi, Pabna.
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