A fish seller was burnt to death and seven semi-pucca houses were gutted in a fire that broke out in Fishery Ghat area in the port city in the early hours of yesterday.
Firefighters’ sources said the fire had originated from an electric short circuit in a shanty of the slum of fishermen around 4am and soon spread to the adjoining six houses.
Shyamal Das, 38, son of Chandan Das, was burnt alive while he was asleep in his room, said Jhunu Das, sister of the deceased.
Jhunu also said they had found the body of Shyamal after the blaze was doused by the firefighters.
However, six firefighting units from Agrabad fire service and civil defence headquarters and Nandankanon fire station rushed to the spot and extinguished the flame after an hour’s effort, said Jashim Uddin, deputy assistant director of Agrabad fire service and civil defence headquarters.
The firefighters estimated the loss incurred due to the fire at Tk7 lakh.