A major fire broke out late Monday night at the Pioneer Base of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project in Pabna, damaging several rooms including the server room of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC). Computers, air conditioners, important documents and internet server equipment were destroyed.
The fire started around 3:00 AM quickly spread smoke and flames to nearby rooms. Four units from Ishwardi Fire Service rushed to the site and brought the blaze under control after a prolonged effort.
Following the fire, power was cut to the Pioneer Base and two nearby buildings while internet connectivity across several project installations was also disrupted. As of Tuesday morning roughly 55 hours later power and internet had still not been fully restored to key sections of the project.
Offices of the Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) and BAEC lost internet access entirely while power to the customs building and canteen remains suspended also causing water shortages. Workers are facing difficult conditions without electricity or water amid the heat.
Md. Sadequl Bari the Deputy Assistant Director of Pabna Fire Service said he and the Executive Director rushed to the site upon hearing of the fire and that a short circuit is suspected as the cause, though an investigation will confirm details.
Md. Shahidul Islam of Rooppur Green City Modern Fire Service said his team also responded promptly but the full extent of damage is not yet known.
The prolonged outage has disrupted normal project operations with officials worried about possible loss of sensitive data and technical equipment due to the server room fire.
Project Director Dr. Kabir Hossain did not respond to phone calls or a text message seeking comment on the incident.
