Fire wrecks shanties in Rajabazar slum

As many as twelve fire tenders were pressed into action to douse the flames. No casualty or injury has been reported so far in the incident, but several families have been rendered homeless.

The police cordoned off the entire area after the fire was spotted by the local people at around 4.30 pm.

Local residents found smoke billowing out of the slum situated at a congested area close to Raja Dinendra Street. They took part in the rescue operation. They evacuated all the shanties immediately after the incident was reported.

The fire fighters acted on a war footing. They, however, faced difficulties as the area is congested. There were also difficulties to take the fire tenders to the spot. The traffic movement was also restricted in the area following the fire incident.

People residing in the adjacent building became scared and left their homes. Md Ekbal, a local resident, said that the fire was spreading fast, as a result of which the local residents staying in the adjacent building left their homes.

Police and local people joined hands to vacate the two-storeyed shanties, where around 50 families used to stay. The incident has left many people homeless as the fire has severely damaged the shanties.

The fire fighters had used a ladder to reach the source of the fire. They checked the spread of the fire after arresting it.

The exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are yet to be ascertained. The situation was brought under control within two hours. A detailed probe has been initiated in this regard.