11 die as blaze sweeps slum in Bangladesh

Published on 19/11/2012 00:00

Fire raced through a massive slum on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s capital this weekend, killing at least 11 people and injuring scores.

Fire department official Ataur Rahman said the fire broke out at 3am yesterday at the Bou Bazar slum near Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area.

It took firefighters four hours to douse the blaze, which destroyed at least 500 homes.

The bodies of six women, four men and one child were recovered from the rubble of the slum, which is home to many of the city’s rickshaw drivers.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but initial reports suggest a cigarette or mosquito coil may be to blame.

The flames spread rapidly across the district, where homes are mostly shacks made of tin, bamboo and plastic sheets.

More than 120 people were killed in June 2010 when fire broke out at a wedding party in the old part of the city.