Ctg’s Tekpara slum fire guts 80 shanties

At least 80 shanties were burned down in a fire that broke out at a slum at Tekpara in Firingibazar of Chattogram city this afternoon.

The fire originated in the slum around 1:20pm, said Dinmoni Sharma, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Chattogram.

Nine fire engines from different fire stations rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control around 2:20pm, he told our Chattogram staff correspondent.

At least 80 shanties gutted in the fire while a four-storey building and a temporary Hindu temple inside the slum were also damaged in the fire.

However, no casualties have been reported so far.

The extent of losses from the fire could not be ascertained immediately, he said.

When asked what may have caused the fire, Dinmoni Sharma suggested that the fire might have been triggered by an 11,000-volt electricity wire passing over the slum.

Quoting locals, he said a coconut leaf fell on the electric wire causing a fire which later spread to the slum.

However, a probe is needed to determine the actual cause of the fire, he added.