Dhaka – Firefighters have extinguished a massive blaze that destroyed more than 1,500 shanties in one of Dhaka’s largest slums, officials said Wednesday.
It took 19 fire engines over 16 hours to fully contain the fire, which erupted Tuesday evening in the Korail slum of the Mohakhali neighbourhood.
Shahjahan Sikder, an official at the Fire Service and Civil Defence, confirmed the fire was doused by 9:30 am Wednesday.
No casualties have been reported, though the cause of the fire remains undetermined.
Tajul Islam Chowdhury, the firefighting team leader, cited significant challenges at the scene. Narrow lanes and onlookers hampered access, forcing crews to spray water from a distance with long hoses and prolonging the operation.
“Our larger fire vehicles could not enter because of the narrow access roads. We had to rely on long hose lines,” he explained.
He added that severe traffic congestion delayed the first engine’s arrival by 30 minutes.
The Korail slum, situated on a lake between Dhaka’s affluent Gulshan and Banani areas, is home to approximately 100,000 people. The community lives in densely packed, makeshift houses, and fire incidents are frequent.
The government has formed a five-member panel to assess the damage and determine the cause.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus assured that those who lost their homes would be rehabilitated soon, stating, “The government will ensure all necessary assistance for their rehabilitation.”
