Mirpur slum fire: 3,000 families affected
The fire service official also said that a committee is being formed to investigate the incident in detail.
As many as 3,000 families have sustained losses in Friday’s devastating fire at the Mirpur slum in the capital, officials said.
Rezaul Karim, assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defense, said on Saturday the blaze burned down around 500-600 shanties.
The massive fire broke out at Jhilpar slum, next to the Chalantika intersection in Mirpur 7 on Friday evening.
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“A total of 24 firefighting units worked relentlessly and were able to put the fire out by early Saturday,” Rezaul told journalists.
“Now we are searching for victims possibly trapped in the wreck. We are removing the debris. Most of the houses in the slum were reduced to ashes,” he said.
Rezaul said the cause of the fire was yet to be known. “All we know is that the inferno spread quickly. After investigation, we will know how the fire originated.”
The fire service official also said that a committee is being formed for a detailed investigation of the incident.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam and local parliamentarian Elias Mollah have visited the scene, and said all kinds of assistance would be provided to the victims.
Four people have reportedly been injured in the blaze so far, and are being treated at hospital.
However, no one was seriously burnt.
