Fire in Chittagong, Chandpur

Woman burnt alive; houses, shops gutted

23 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

Seventeen houses and four shops were gutted in two fire incidents in Chittagong yesterday while in a separate incident in Chandpur on Sunday an elderly woman was burnt alive in her house and five shops were damaged. Our Staff Correspondent in Chittagong reports: Seventeen houses and four shops were gutted and property worth over Tk 26 lakh was damaged in two separate fire incidents yesterday in the port city and Satkania upazila. In the first incident, at least 13 thatched houses were gutted in Satkania upazila. The fire broke out at the house of one Abdul Molla in Chowdhuryhat area of Nalua union under the upazila at around 1:15am. Meanwhile, another fire broke out at a semi-pucca house at Mayor Goli in Chasma Hill area under Panchlaish police station at around 6:50am. Three adjoining tin-shed semi-pucca houses and four shops were also gutted in the fire that originated from an electric short circuit, said the fire service men. In Chandpur, a 70-year-old woman, Kulsuma Begum, was burnt alive in a fire at Puranbazar Daspara in the town at around 11:30 pm Sunday. A dwelling house of Lokman Kabiraj, five shops and two goats were also gutted. Fire service officials estimated the extent of loss at Tk 4.5 lakh. However, the affected people claimed the loss would stand at Tk 10 lakh. Locals said, the fire originated from the dwelling house of Lokman Kabiraj behind the grocery shop of Nazrul. The exact cause of the fire could not be known. Lokman said his mother-in-law Kulsuma Begum, wife Ekti Begum, his daughter, son and a grandson were sleeping in the room. Seeing the fire, his wife, children and grandson managed to come out of the room but elderly Kulsuma remained inside.