DHAKA, Jun 8 (NNN-BSS) – A devastating fire swept through one of the largest slums in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, destroying at least 100 shanties early yesterday.
A total of 18 fire units battled hard for hours, to extinguish the blaze at about 9:15 a.m. local time, Fire Service Headquarters Duty Officer, Lima Khanom, said.
No casualty has been reported so far.
The Saat Tola slum, in Dhaka’s Mohakhali area, a densely populated residential complex, is home to many poor residents.
Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Debashish Bardhan said, they have not yet determined the cause of the blaze.
He said, the fire erupted at around 3:59 a.m. local time yesterday and it soon engulfed an area with some 2,000 shanties in the slum.
“At least 100 of the shanties, made of scrap sheet iron, plastic and cardboard, were destroyed fully in the devastating fire,” he said.
Local media reports put the number of shanties destroyed fully or partially in the fire at 500. Many affected slum dwellers were seen lament in open sky as most of them left behind all valuables to save their lives.– NNN-BSS
