In two separate incidents, over 100 shanties at a slum in Baunia Beribadh area in Kalshi, Mirpur, and a plastic factory in Kamrangirchar area were gutted by fire in Dhaka.
The incidents took place early on Friday. Several were reportedly injured in the Mirpur slum fire, while there were no casualties reported in the Kamrangirchar incident.
Fire Service and Civil Defence Central Control Room Duty Officer Lima Khanam confirmed the matter and said they are suspecting that the two fire incidents resulted from electrical malfunctioning.
She said that the fire had started at the Hirur Maar slum on Kalshi road around 12:50am. Eleven firefighting units rushed to the scene and brought the flames under control around 1:50am, and doused it completely around 6am.
Furthermore, she said that around 40 shanties and 20 scrap shops were gutted in the fire. However, the slum dwellers claimed that over 100 shanties and 15 scrap shops were destroyed by the fire.
"One person fell ill due to smoke inhalation. He recovered after receiving first-aid treatment," she added.
Several victims including Rahima Begum, a domestic help, and rickshaw puller Ramjan Ali said that it all happened suddenly, as the fire broke out they rushed out of their room. The fire spread throughout the slum rapidly.
A scene from the aftermath of a fire in Baunia badh area of Kalshi at Dhaka’s Mirpur in the early hours of Friday, December 27, 2019 | Md Manik/Dhaka Tribune
“We could not get anything out of the house, not even our winter clothes,” they added.
Over two hundred people are under the open sky and most of them are suffering due to not having any warm winter clothes. Children are the biggest victims of the cold weather.
Meanwhile, ruling Awami League MP Elias Uddin Mollah assured about taking over all responsibilities, including providing a place to stay and food for the victims.
After the fire broke out, he visited the spot and said: “I will provide all kinds of food and water, whatever is needed for the victims. They have been provided with accommodation at Ananda Niketan High School, adjacent to the fire spot. Food is also being prepared for them.”
On the other hand, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Md Atiqul Islam also visited the spot and promised to provide relief to the victims.
Regarding the Kamrangirchar plastic fire incident, Lima Khanam said that a fire broke out at a plastic factory in the Loharpul area around 1:38am. Seven firefighting units rushed to the spot and were working to douse the flame.
"However, no casualties were reported in the Kamrangirchar incident which also resulted from electrical malfunctioning," she added.
Earlier, on December 11, a devastating fire — sparked by a gas cylinder explosion — gutted the factory of Prime Pet and Plastic Industry in Chunkutia, Keraniganj, leaving one worker dead on the spot, and at least 34 others were injured with many suffering from critical burns.
The death toll from the fire reached 22 until December 21.