450 houses gutted in slum fire

"> This mother with her child sitting helpless yesterday at the site where her house used to be. Like many others, they became homeless after a fire had burned down their shanty in a Hazaribagh slum in the capital Thursday night. Photo: Firoz AhmedAs many as 450 houses, including 24 shanties at a slum, burned down in the city's Hazaribagh area on Thursday night.
No casualty was reported as most of the slum dwellers had left for village homes to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslims.
The fire that broke out around 11:30pm was brought under control in nearly one hour, said the duty officer at Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters.

"> Inhabitants of this slum in Hazaribagh in the capital build makeshift tents out of bed sheets and plastic sheets yesterday after a fire gutted over 450 shanties Thursday night. Photo: Firoz AhmedFirefighters suspect the fire originated from a kitchen gas burner.
Earlier in the morning, a fire burned five warehouses crammed with raw materials for manufacturing plastic products in the capital's Islambagh area.
No casualty was reported as the warehouses were closed on the occasion of Eid.
The fire broke out around 11:30am and was doused after around an hour's efforts, said the HQ duty officer.
The fire might have originated from an electric short-circuit, firefighters said.
INDIAN HIGH COMMISSION
Another fire broke out at the building of the Indian High Commission in Gulshan Tuesday afternoon.
No casualty was reported in the fire that originated on the fourth floor of the six-storey building on Road No. 142 of Gulshan-1 around 5:25pm, said Masudur Rahman of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
Six firefighting units rushed to the spot and put out the flames at 6:05pm, said Rahman.
A computer, some important documents and furniture were damaged, he said, adding, an electric short-circuit might have caused the fire.