Dhaka, Dec. 18 -- A massive fire broke out at a cluster of plastic factories in the Lalbagh area of Old Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon, creating serious safety risks in the densely-populated neighbourhood.

The fire erupted at around 1:05 pm near Chairman Ghat, according to the local people and witnesses.

The blaze was brought under control after nearly two and a half hours, at around 4:00pm, with the frantic efforts of eleven units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, according to fire officials.

Sohel, a plastic factory owner in the area, said there are around 15 to 20 small and large plastic factories operating in the locality. "Nearly Tk 700 million (70 crore) worth of plastic products were damaged in the devastating fire," he said,...