A fire that broke out in the city’s Sattola slum in Mohakhali, Dhaka, has been brought under control. It took five Fire Service units nearly an hour to contain the blaze.
The fire gutted several houses, leaving many families homeless. Ruma, a victim of the fire, was seen wailing as she lost her home in the blaze. “I could not bring anything from the house before the fire engulfed everything,” she lamented.
The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage have not yet been determined.
The Fire Service’s control room duty officer confirmed that they received the report of the fire at 2:37 PM.
Firefighters from multiple teams reached the site around 3:00 PM and immediately began working to extinguish the flames. The fire was finally controlled by 3:18 PM through the combined efforts of three units from Tejgaon Fire Station and two units from Kurmitola Fire Station.
The fire reportedly started around 2:00 PM, with flames quickly spreading through the densely packed settlement. Local firefighters arrived shortly after the fire started and worked tirelessly to contain the blaze. However, due to the narrow alleys and tightly clustered shacks, the fire spread rapidly, causing significant damage.
While no casualties have been reported so far, several families have lost their homes and belongings. Local authorities have confirmed that efforts are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire and assess the full extent of the damage.
The slum, home to many low-income families, has often faced challenges related to fire safety due to overcrowded living conditions and the use of flammable materials in construction.
The slum is located near government institutions like ICDDRB, National Health Institute, and NIPSOM.