A fire in a moving scrap-laden truck halted traffic on the Dhaka-bound lane of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Sitakunda, Chattogram, for nearly an hour on Tuesday. The incident occurred around 6pm near the Fakirhat-Kalushah Mazar overbridge. Traffic queues stretched for several kilometres on both sides of the highway as movement was stopped during the fire response.

Witnesses said the truck, carrying iron scrap for Abul Khair Group, was travelling from a scrap depot in Chattogram toward a factory on the Dhaka-bound lane. Smoke began emerging from the vehicle’s engine cabin near the overbridge, and the fire quickly spread through the cabin. Highway police immediately closed the Dhaka-bound lane to prevent an accident.

Fire Service personnel and police from Bar Aulia Highway Police Station responded and brought the blaze fully under control around 7pm after about an hour of work. Officer-in-Charge Ariful Amin said a mechanical fault caused the fire. Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Fakhrul Islam said traffic was gradually restored through one Dhaka-bound lane after the fire was controlled.