Residents of a slum at Mirpur-12 try to trace their belongings amid debris after a terrible fire burnt to ashes more than 4,000 shanties there on Monday. — FE Photo by Shafiqul Alam A devastating fire destroyed several thousand houses at a slum in the city's Mirpur-12 area during early hours of Monday.
The incident left one elderly woman injured and thousands of people homeless at the slum located near Pallabi Jheel, witnesses said.
They also said the fire broke out at around 3.00 am from the southern part of the slum spreading on over 70 bighas of land.
On information, firemen rushed to the spot by 4.00 am, duty inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters Ataur Rahman told the FE.
"A total of 21 fire-fighting units took part in the operation, who managed to bring the fire under control at 7.20 am," he added.
FSCD director Shakil Newaz told the reporters at the spot that the fire-fighters had to face troubles in reaching the spot, as the connecting roads were too narrow.
Besides, a strong wind fanned the fire to spread very quickly, and nearly 60 per cent of the shanties of the slum were completely destroyed, he added.
Sources said Jamila Khatun (65), a woman burnt in the accident, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment, while many received minor injuries.
During a visit to the spot the FE correspondent found the fire turned several thousand houses into ashes. Residues of the houses, mostly built with tin and wood, were dispersed here and there. Several hundreds of concrete pillars remained erected amid debris.
The local people said the area housed more than 8,000 units, mostly single-room shanties. More than 25,000 people lived in those facilities.
Abdul Kuddus Molla, a resident of the slum, said the fire originated from one of the houses located on the south-western side of the slum.
"I woke up in the middle of the night, after hearing hue and cry in the slum, and somehow managed to escape the scene."
He also said low-income people, mainly apparel factory workers, used to dwell in the neighbourhood. Many of his relatives, including two brothers and their families, had been living in the shanties for many years.
"We lost all our belongings in the inferno, including television and refrigerator. Many residents lost cash also, as they got their salary a couple of days back," he added.
Despite huge financial loss, some of the residents were yet optimistic to turn around soon, as their family members were not hurt in the incident.
"As soon as I learnt that the flame was spreading fast, I hurriedly fled away from my house with my son and daughter," said Jesmin Akter, a garment worker.
She also said she had lost her belongings including furniture, TV and cash amounting to Tk 10,000, as she received her salary only a day ago.
The reason behind the fire incident and the estimated amount of loss is yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, a three-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident, whether it was merely a mishap or an intentional one.
Led by deputy director of FSCD Dhaka Division, Debashish Bardhan, the committee has been ordered to submit its investigation report within seven working days, beginning from today (Tuesday).
The other two members are FSCD deputy assistant director Mamun Mahmud and senior station officer of Mirpur Md Arefin.
When contacted, Mr Debashish said the committee will detect the causes of the fire after examining the samples collected from the place.
"At the same time, we will also determine the amount of loss after talking to the victims," he added.
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