A devastating fire swept through Dhaka’s sprawling Korel slum, destroying or damaging about 1,500 huts and turning tin-roofed dwellings into smoldering ruins, officials said.
According to Rashed bin Khalid, a duty officer at the fire department, it took 16 hours to extinguish the fire that broke out on Tuesday evening.
Fire Service Director Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury confirmed that about 1,500 huts were burnt or damaged, leaving thousands of people homeless.
Official records show that about 60,000 families – many of whom have been displaced by climate disasters – live in this 65-hectare (160-acre) shantytown. Corel is located adjacent to the affluent Gulshan and Banani districts of Dhaka, surrounded by modern skyscrapers.
The flames engulfed houses throughout the night, causing thick smoke to engulf the area.
As of Wednesday, displaced residents did their best to sift through the debris, attempting to save their belongings.
Fire personnel said that due to narrow roads in the area, there is difficulty in reaching the fire.
Dhaka, which is home to 10.2 million people by 2024, has hundreds of informal settlements populated by rural migrants fleeing poverty, exploitation and climate-related disasters. People living there usually survive on daily wages earned as rickshaw pullers, domestic maids and sweepers.
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