A child was burnt alive yesterday morning when a devastating fire broke out at a slum in the capital’s Modhubagh area, gutting over 600 shanties and leaving thousands homeless.
The fire broke out at the Jheelpar Slum along the Hatirjheel Lake on Rampura Mohanahar Abasik Project around 8:30am, when almost all of its dwellers, who were mainly garment factory workers and rickshaw pullers, were already out of their shanties for work.
The 3-year-old child, Sabuj, was killed in the blaze after his mother Madina Khatun, a housemaid, and father Hasmat Miah, a rickshaw-puller, went out to work keeping Sabuj asleep and leaving their 11-year-old daughter Sathi to take care of the child. However, Sathi soon went out of the house to play as her younger brother was sound asleep.
Hailing from Shimulkochi village under Haluaghat in Mymensingh district, Madina and Hasmat had been living in the slum with their two children Sabuj and Sathi for several years.
It took two hours for 14 units from the Fire Service to douse the fire. However, almost everything in the slum was burnt to ashes in the blaze in the meantime.
The slum, which spreads across an area of three bighas, had around 900 shanties.
“We tried to douse the fire soon after it broke out, but it went beyond control. The fire fighters were informed too late,” said a resident Runjina.
The exact cause of the fire could not be confirmed, although many suspect the blaze originated from a burner, while many others believe it came out from a nearby rickshaw garage.
“The fire originated from Mahiuddin Babul’s kitchen. The fire caught the gas and electricity lines and spread fast,” said Sabiha Islam, the next-door neighbor of Mahiuddin.
“Within 15 minutes, four adjacent houses made with bamboo and tin, collapsed,” she added.
However, Babul claimed that the fire originated from a nearby rickshaw garage.
“On information, four units of firefighters first rushed to the spot, but as the fire spread around violently within a short time, 10 more units joined the efforts and brought the fire under control,” said Abdus Salam, director for administration at Fire Service and Civil Defense, told the Dhaka Tribune.
He also said although the cause of the fire has yet to be confirmed, the fire is believed to have originated from a cooking burner. He said firefighters also recovered the body of the three-year-old child.
“We also rescued two children from the first-floor of a shanty. They were also asleep and their parents went out for work,” he said.
Like Madina and Hasmat, who lost their three year-old child, rickshaw puller Atiyar Rahman and garments worker Momena Begum of Lalmonirhat district had also left their shanty for their workplaces. After being informed over the phone, they rushed to the spot and found everything they had was already in ashes.
“We had Tk3,500 in cash and other valuables at our house, but everything has been burnt to ashes,” said Momena Behum.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka District administration gave Tk20,000 to Hasmat and Madina as compensation for the death of their child in the fire.
Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka District Shaikh Yusuf Harun said the district administration has decided to provide Tk3,000 and 20kg of rice to each of the victim families.
“As today is weekly holiday, the money will be handed over to the victims tomorrow (Sunday) during office hours. We are now preparing a list of the victims,” added DC Harun.
The police, Red Crescent Society and local Awami League leaders also donated dry foods for the victims.
