According to the authorities, the fire originated inside the storeroom of Swan Sweater Ltd at about 12:00 noon and soon engulfed the whole area.

The fire damaged 30,000 pieces of sweaters waiting for shipment, machines, cottons and cartons packed with raw materials, factory officials said.

The firefighters of Gazipur, Savar, Kurmitola, EPZ and Tongi fire brigade units extinguished the fire after a four-hour effort.

Selim Newaz Bhuiyan, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said they faced severe obstacles due to non-availability of water in the surrounding areas.

Firefighters, however, failed to ascertain the reason of the fire.

Meanwhile, vehicular movement was disrupted for an hour as the place is just beside the Dhaka-Tangail highway.