About 60,000 families, many of whom are climate refugees, live in the area which covers more than 65 hectares (160 acres).
Authorities say 1,500 huts have been burned or damaged in a fire that swept through a densely populated and impoverished area of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, leaving thousands homeless.
No casualties have been reported till Wednesday, a day after a massive fire broke out in Korail settlement. According to fire department official Rashed bin Khalid, it took 16 hours to extinguish the fire that broke out on Tuesday evening.
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Fire service director Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said about 1,500 dilapidated houses were burnt or damaged in the fire and thousands of people were left homeless. The flames engulfed the entire area overnight, due to which the entire area was covered with heavy smoke.
According to official figures, about 60,000 families, many of whom are climate refugees, live in the area, which covers an area of more than 65 hectares (160 acres).
The area spans the upscale Gulshan and Banani areas of Dhaka, and is surrounded by clusters of high-rise apartment and office buildings.
On Wednesday, residents who lost their homes scoured the debris, desperate to collect their valuables. Firefighters said they struggled to reach the area due to narrow streets.
Dhaka, a city with a population of 10.2 million people by 2024, has hundreds of slums where people from rural Bangladesh migrate due to poverty and exploitation.
Climate-induced disasters also push them into the poorest areas of the city, where they survive on low-paid daily labor such as pulling rickshaws and working as domestic maids and cleaners.
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