Fire brought under control after over five hours as Karail slum residents lament losses
The fire that broke out in the Karail slum in the capital has been brought under control after five hours. However, it will take more time to extinguish it completely.
Shahjahan Shikder, acting officer of the Fire Service Headquarters Media Cell, said that the fire was brought under control at 10:35pm on Tuesday (25 November) through efforts of 20 units of the Fire Service. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage were not immediately known.
Earlier, at around 5:30pm, the Fire Service issued a press release reporting the fire in the Karail slum.
Around 10pm, Fire Service Director (Operations and Maintenance) Lt Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said that the intensity of the flames had decreased and several sections of the area had been contained.
The Fire Service said that the fire spread quickly because it took time for the units to reach the scene initially. The first responding units took about 30 to 35 minutes to arrive. Narrow roads, traffic congestion and crowds of people caused delays for the larger vehicles to get close to the fire. Additionally, unruly behaviour by some people in the crowd also hindered the firefighting efforts.
This Fire Service official said that incidents such as cutting hoses, disconnecting joints and scuffles with law enforcement personnel also occurred.
He said that there was no shortage of water, but it was taking time to get the water to the centre of the fire. As the area was large, hose joints had to be connected in many places.
On-site observations showed firefighters pumping water from the Karail lake and spraying it through hoses. WASA trucks were also supplying water.
