At least 40 shanties were gutted, properties worth about 10 lakh were burned to ashes and panic gripped the apartment dwellers when devastating fire broke out at Kathpattin Slum of Rani Market of Kamrangrichar, a shoe factory at Bangshal and an apartment of Moghbazar area in the city in a span of six hours time on Saturday. Witnesses said at least 40 houses and 10 shops were gutted in a fire that broke out at Kathpatti Slum of Rani Market of Kamrangrichar area of the capital at around 1:30 pm. However, no causalty was reported from the incident.
Sirajur Islam, inspector (investigation) of Kamrangirchar police station told The Independent, “Getting information from locals about the fire we rushed to the spot with fire fighters and local people doused the fire after an hour of frantic effort. All people of the slum were out of home.
About the fire, he said that locals told us that they saw smoke out from the tin shed shanty of the slum owned by Fazlul Hossain of the area and soon after the fire engulfed the adjacent shanties of the slum.
Enayet Hossain, senior assistant officer and officer-in-charge of Palashi fire service station, said on information, four fire fighting units rushed to the spot and doused the fire at around 3:00 pm. No one was found injured from the incident.
According to local and affected slum dwellers, the fire started at one of the shanties of the slum at around 12:30pm and immediately engulfed the adjacent shanties, made of tin-roof and fence.
Officials at the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) said that the cause of fire and extent due to it was under investigation.
Asked about the reason behind the incident, he said that we would able to say about it after investigation; however, primarily we are suspecting that it might be originated from an oven.
An hour earlier of the incident, a devastating fire broke out in SP Shoe Factory located at House No 11/12 of Bangshal area at around 11.45pm, however, no casualty were reported in the incident. On information, three unit of fire fighting rushed to spot and doused the fire after an hour of frantic effort.
Mohammad Ali, duty officer of central fire service and civil defence, told The Independent that the fire originated from electric short circuit that damaged valuable worth Tk. 10 lakh of the factory but we have successfully able to save valuables of Tk 50 lakh of the factory.
Abdul Kuddus, officer-in-charge of Bangshal police station told The Independent, “Although the fire gutted some materials of the factory but no one get hurt from it and we succeeded to douse it with the support of fire fighters.”
Meanwhile, a fire broke out at Rokeya Bhaban apartment of Mogbazar area in the capital at around 5:00 pm on Saturday. No casualty was reported from the incident.
On information, five fire fighting unit from Tejgaon Fire station and headquarters rushed to the spot and doused the fire within half an hour.
Mohammad Ali, duty officer of fire-fighters control room, said that the fire broke out at the 17-floor through electric short circuit. But, no one was injured from the incident and the fire fighters douse the fire with in half an hour.
-With The Independent input
