300 shanties gutted by fire in city

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FE Report Hundreds of families have become homeless following a devastating fire that raged through a slum in the capital's Rayerbazar area Thursday. Firefighters said nearly 300 shanties of the slum named 'Bat Tala Chan Mia Housing Slum' were gutted in the flame that originated at about 12:15pm from a shanty and soon engulfed the whole area of the lower-income group. "The exact reason behind the flame could not be ascertained immediately. But we suspect that it could have originated from a stove of a room or an electric short circuit," Assistant Director of the fire department Monir Hossain said. The blaze also severely damaged two under-construction buildings adjacent to the tin-shed slum. On information, a number of units of fire brigate vehicles from Mohammadpur, Mirpur and fire service headquarters rushed to the spot and doused the fire after four hours of frantic efforts with the help of local people and law enforcers. Officer-in-Charge of Mohammadpur police station Mahmudul Islam told the FE that the fire broke out at noon and spread to other houses in minutes. "The fire left more than 600 families, mostly garment workers and day labourers, homeless," he said. The police officer further said no one was seriously hurt in the fire as most of its residents were outside for their regular works during the incident. Director General of the fire department Abu Nayem Mohammad Shahidullah told reporters that his force managed to drench the fire and was now engaged in calculating the damages caused by the incident. "The extent of loss due to the fire could go up to Tk five million," he said. Rickshaw-puller Uzzal, who resides there with his family, said all the valuables that belonged to his family were burnt down in moments. "I could do nothing to save those. I don't know where I would take shelter with my family," he said in frustration. State Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Jahangir Kabir Nanak visited the spot and assured the affected families that his ministry would do everything for their rehabilitation. Fire at shops, factories and slum is common in the country and destroyed property worth billions of taka each year. According to the fire department, fire destroyed property worth more than Tk 5.32 billion in 2010, up by 71.52 per cent from that of the previous year when the loss was estimated at more than Tk 3.09 billion.