Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
A massive blaze ripped through Dhaka’s Korail slum area on Tuesday evening, leaving thousands homeless as rows of tin shanties were reduced to ashes.
The fire broke out around 5:22pm in the sprawling settlement of nearly 80,000 residents, located between Gulshan and Banani. Nineteen fire engines struggled to enter the narrow lanes, with heavy traffic delaying their initial response, Fire Service official Talha Bin Zasim said.
Firefighters battled the flames for over five hours, bringing them under control at 10:35pm. The Fire Service later confirmed the fire was fully extinguished at 9:30am Wednesday. No casualties were reported.
Residents spent the night in open areas such as T&T Field and Khamarbari Field. “Everything I had is gone. How will I survive now?” said Amena Begum, standing beside the charred remains of her home. Local resident Farhad Hossain said at least 2,000 people had to sleep under the open sky. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined; authorities will launch an investigation into the scale of damage.
The Fire Service and Civil Defense (FSCD) has formed a five-member committee to investigate the horrific fire incident at Karail slum in Tejgaon area of the capital.
Assistant Director of FSCD Headquarters Md. Shahjahan Sikder said that the committee has been directed to submit the investigation report within 15 working days.
The members of the committee are Fire Service Deputy Director (Operation and Maintenance) Md. Mamunur Rashid, Assistant Director (Dhaka) Kazi Nazmuzzaman, Deputy Assistant Director Atish Chakma, Senior Station Officer of Tejgaon Fire Station Md. Nazim Uddin Sarkar and Warehouse Inspector Md. Sohrab Hossain.