22 shops, 20 houses, paddy gutted in 3 districts

People try to save whatever they can from the remnants after a devastating fire destroyed around 10 tonnes of paddy at Shahrapara village in Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur district early yesterday.Photo: STAR

At least 22 shops, 20 houses and 10 tonnes of paddy were gutted in separate incidents of fire in Rangpur, Dinajpur and Nilphamari districts yesterday and the day before.
In Dinajpur, 10 tonnes of paddy worth about Tk 3.5lakh was destroyed by fire at Shahrapara village in Phulbari upazila early yesterday, reports our correspondent.
Jahangir Alam, owner of the paddy said he and his family members woke up early yesterday feeling heat and billowing smoke around them. Soon they found the piled up paddy sacks inside his house were burnt to ashes.
On information, a team of firefighters from Phulbari fire brigade rushed to the spot and doused the fire after struggling for about two hours.
Jahagir claimed that at least 150 sacks of paddy were burnt to ashes.
A case was filed with Phulbari police station accusing eight people suspecting their involvement in the incident. The accused had personal enmity with Jahagir.
In Rangpur, 22 shops were gutted in a devastating fire at bus stand market in Kawnia upazila the day before, reports our Rangpur correspondent.
Eyewitnesses said, the fire originated from an electric short-circuit at a cotton shop that soon engulfed 22 nearby shops.
Fire fighters of Rangpur town and Haragach were informed on time but they rushed to the spot one and a half hours later, victims said. By the time all shops of the market were gutted, they said.
Victims and locals vandalized a fire fighting vehicle and attacked the fire fighters inflicting injuries to four of them. The fire fighters hurriedly fled from the scene with the vehicle to take shelter at a nearby police station.
A case was filed for vandalizing the fire fighting vehicle of government.
Shop owners have estimated the damage caused by the fire at around Tk 1 crore.
In Nilphamari, at least 20 dwelling houses were gutted by a devastating fire at Natun Babupara in the district town early yesterday, reports UNB.
Locals said the fire originated from the cowshed of Yusuf Ali at about 1:30am and soon engulfed the nearby houses.
On information, fire service personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire with the help of local people at about 3:00am.
The affected house owners claimed that the extent of loss from the fire could go up to Tk 20 lakh.