28 shanties gutted in Ctg, six shops in Comilla

3 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

Fire gutted 28 shanties in Chittagong and six shops at Comilla yesterday. Our Staff Correspondent in Chittagong reports: A fire gutted 28 thatched houses damaging property worth Tk 10 lakh at Chandtara slum on the Karnaphuli embankment at Razakhali Road in the city at around 12:10am. Two fire fighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire at 1:25am. Firemen said the fire originated at a shanty and soon engulfed the whole slum. They suspect it might be a case of arson to remove the slum dwellers from their land. Bakolia police said a general dairy was lodged in this connection yesterday and police were probing the incident. In Comilla, at least six shops were gutted in a fire at Lalmai Bazar in Sadar Dakkshin upazila early yesterday. A correspondent quoting the shop owners said the fire originated from short circuit in a shop at about 4:15am and spread to adjacent shops made of tin-roof and bamboo fence. The extent of damage is at least Tk 10 lakh, they claimed. The shop owners and locals tried to bring the fire under control. Later, when fire-fighting vehicles from Sadar upazila went to the spot, agitated people attacked them and injured a fireman.