A fire triggered by an electrical short circuit on a main pillar of Palli Bidyut has destroyed the residential houses of 15 farming families in Derai upazila of Sunamganj.
The incident took place around 8pm on Monday in Jaralia village under Sarmangal union of the upazila.
The fire originated from a short circuit at a main power pillar of Palli Bidyut and caught a nearby house. Within moments, the flames spread rapidly to adjacent homesteads, turning into a massive blaze, according to local residents.
The fire destroyed 15 farmers’ houses along with stored paddy, rice, fertilisers, pesticides, seed grain, furniture, cash, and gold ornaments. The locals have confirmed that all the fire victims depend on agriculture for their livelihood.
Locals allege that a lack of proper maintenance of the main power line led to the short circuit. They also accused personnel at the Derai Palli Bidyut office of negligence in their duties. However, comments from the concerned power authorities were not immediately available.
Upon receiving news of the fire, members of the Derai Upazila Fire Service were preparing to depart for the scene but the local villagers rushed to the spot and fought the blaze, bringing it under control after nearly half an hour of effort.
Preliminary information indicates the fire started from a Palli Bidyut short circuit, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Derai Police Station Md Aminul Huq said.
But the full extent of financial damage could not be immediately assessed.
