Thousands left homeless as fire destroys Mirpur slum

As many as 125 firefighters brought the blaze under control just before midnight on Friday, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence, reported Dhaka Tribune newspaper.

The fire left several slum dwellers homeless.

As many as 24 firefighting units were deployed at the scene when the fire erupted at the Jhilpar slum around 7:22pm, and Fire Service responded around 7:28pm, according to Fire Service Duty Officer Ershad Hossain, reporter Dhaka Tribune.

No casualty has been reported so far.

Fire Service sources told the newspaper that at least four people including a firefighter were injured in the incident.

Police, RAB, Wasa, and other volunteers helped the firefighters in dousing the flames.

Four people sustained injuries due to the fire

The massive fire that ravaged several thousand shanties at a slum in Mirpur 7 of Dhaka, has been tamed.

As many as 125 firefighters brought the blaze under control just before midnight on Friday, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

The huge fire turned thousands of the lower-income slum residents homeless and left nothing for them other than charred valuables, and despair.

The dwellers just fled their homes with whatever they found at hand. Their cries made the entire atmosphere gloomier, burdened with thoughts of their uncertain future.

Locals along with the fire fighters are also seen struggling to douse the fire that broke out at a slum in Dhaka's Mirpur on Friday, August 16, 2019 Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune.

As many as 24 firefighting units were deployed at the scene when the fire erupted at the Jhilpar slum around 7:22pm, and Fire Service responded around 7:28pm, according to Fire Service Duty Officer Ershad Hossain.

Lt Col Zillur Rahman, director (operations and maintenance) of Fire Service, said there was no news of deaths.

However, Fire Service sources said at least four people including a firefighter were injured in the incident.

Of them, firefighter Jewel Rana was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. Two others - Kabir and Habib - were taken to different hospital in Mirpur.

Police, RAB, Wasa, and other volunteers also assisted the Fire Service personnel.

Rupnagar police station Inspector (Investigation) Golam Rabbani said: "We have deployed enough police personnel to ensure that everything remains under control.

Meanwhile, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam and State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman reached the spot where the fire broke out.

Locals told Dhaka Tribune there are over 1,000 shanties in the slum, and most of the dwellers were away because of Eid-ul-Azha.

They told the newspaper that around 100,000 people lived in the slum.