250 shanties gutted in slum fire

A huge fire, which raged for about one and a half hours, burned down the entire shantytown adjacent to the capital's Shyamoli Kazi office bazar yesterday. Inset, two slum women lamenting the irreversible loss. Photo: Rashed Shumon

A devastating fire in Kazibari slum in the capital's Shyamoli yesterday gutted over 250 shanties and left at least 12 people wounded including two children with severe burn injuries.
Meanwhile, another fire at a Bata showroom in Farmgate destroyed all footwear and left six firefighters injured early yesterday.
In Kazibari Slum, the fire broke out around 8:00am in the morning and left 300 families homeless.
On information, 12 firefighting units rushed to the spot and doused the fire after battling it for three hours, said Alamgir Hossain, a station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters.
The fire burnt down around 250 shanties of the slum, Monir Hossain, assistant director (Dhaka Division) of Fire Service and Civil Defence, told The Daily Star.
Slum dweller Khairul Hossian's sons Bijoy, 11, and Hridoy, 10, were rescued with severe burn injuries during the incident. They were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Besides, 10 people including a firefighter sustained burn injuries when they tried to douse the fire, he said. They are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Fire brigade however could not ascertain the reason behind the blaze.
The rescue operation was hampered as most of the shanties were locked from outside. The residents, mostly garment workers, had left for work in the morning, said fire brigade sources.
Panicked residents of two nearby buildings vacated their flats when the fire spread to the buildings. But the flame was doused shortly.
The victims of the fire could not save any of their belongings.
Meanwhile, six firefighters were injured when they came into contact with live electric wires while dousing a fire at the showroom of Bata Shoe Company.
Five units of fire brigade doused the four-hour long fire around 4:00am yesterday morning.
The injured fire fighters -- Mazharul Islam, Khabiruddin, Saiful Islam, Jamaluddin, Monir Hossain and Jahangir -- were undergoing treatment at DMCH.
Alamgir Hossain, a station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, told The Daily Star that the fire broke out from an electric short circuit.