A fire triggered by an apparent electrical short circuit destroyed nine homes and partially damaged three others in Balaghata area of Bandarban on Friday morning.
The blaze erupted around 9:00 am in Markaz Goli of Ward No. 1 under Bandarban Municipality. According to Fire Service and Civil Defence, the fire originated in the house of Tapan Mallik before rapidly spreading to nearby homes.
Two firefighting units rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control after about 30 minutes.
Homeowner Tapan Mallik said the fire left his family with nothing. “All our belongings were reduced to ashes. We could not save anything from the house,” he said.
Witnesses said the flames spread so quickly that affected families were unable to salvage essential belongings or household furniture before their homes were engulfed.
Md. Iqbal Hossain, Senior Station Officer of Bandarban Fire Service and Civil Defence, said authorities are assessing the extent of the losses. No casualties were reported.