Fire guts 200 shanties in two Banani slums
At least 200 shanties were gutted as a massive fire tore through two slums in the capital’s Banani T&T area early yesterday.
No casualty was reported.
The fire broke out at the Godown Slum and Bede Slum around 3:30am, Rasel Shikder, a duty officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defense headquarters, told The Daily Star.
On information, 22 fire engines rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire around 7:00am.
It is still unclear what caused the fire.
The fire service officials, however, suspected that the fire was originated from an incident of gas leakage or short circuit.
A four-member committee led by fire service Deputy Director Nur Hossain has been formed to look into the incident and estimate the damage.
The fire incident took place at a time when most of the slum dwellers were in sleep. They were forced to run out of their rooms leaving their belongings.
Witnesses said the flames spread immediately throughout the slum.
Jahanara Begum, a slum dweller, said she woke up from sleep hearing screams and she came out immediately and without taking anything with her.
She had a shop in the slum which has turned into ashes.
“My four children are studying at schools. How would I bear the cost now?” lamented Jahanara.
Another slum dweller Musa Hossain said he had Tk 4 lakh in cash, two shops and a warehouse.
“All finished. I could save nothing,” Musa said, as tear rolled down his face.
The slum dwellers had no way but to live under the bare sky at a nearby field.
Some slum dwellers complained about the lacks in rescue operation of the fire service. They said the fire service could not spray water properly at the right time.
However, the fire service officials said the rescue operation was delayed due to water shortage and narrow roads.
Brig Gen Sajjad Hossain, director general of the fire service and civil defense department, visited the spot.
BNP nominated mayor candidate for just held Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Tabith Awal visited the fire ravaged slum around 11:00am and blamed some unscrupulous members of ruling party, who provide illegal gas and electricity connection in the slum, for the incident.
He spoke to some of the victims’ families.
Tabith demanded a fair probe into the incident. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Relief and Disaster Management listed 450 families affected by the fire. An official of the ministry said they would primarily give 30 kg of rice and two thousand taka in cash to each family.
Comments