A devastating fire at Dhaka’s Korail slum has destroyed around 1,500 houses, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

20 units of the fire service worked for more than five hours and brought the blaze under control at 10:35pm on Tuesday (25 Nov), Fire Service Inspector Anwarul Islam confirmed.

He said seven units were initially dispatched after the fire was reported at 5:22pm, but due to severe traffic congestion, they reached the spot about 35 minutes later.

Eventually, a total of 20 units joined the firefighting operation.

Based on accounts from affected residents and preliminary assessments by fire service personnel, approximately 1,500 houses have been burned.

The exact extent of damage and the cause of the fire will be determined after a full investigation. No casualties have been reported so far.

Witnesses said firefighters faced major challenges due to a lack of water sources nearby.

The slum’s tightly packed structures—built with tin, bamboo, and wood—enabled the fire to spread rapidly from one home to another.

Many residents broke into tears as they tried desperately to salvage belongings before the flames consumed their homes.

According to sources, this was the fourth fire incident in Korail slum in the past 20 months.

Among those affected, Khadija Begum said, “Everything in my house has burned down. I spent years saving little by little to buy the TV, fridge, everything. I couldn’t save a single thing.”

Day labourer Hanifa, 50, said, “Our four rooms have turned to ashes. I lived there with my two sons and nephew. We were all at work when the fire started. The women and children barely managed to escape. On this cold night, we now have nowhere to go.”

Another resident, Aziz Sheikh, said, “I could only grab the TV on my head and a gas cylinder in my hand. Everything else burned before my eyes.”

Around 10pm, eyewitnesses said the flames intensified because fire service units took some time to reach the location. The fire spread quickly across the tin-roofed houses.

At around 9:30pm, Fire Service Director (Operations and Maintenance) Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said that narrow lanes, traffic congestion, and a shortage of water greatly hindered the firefighting efforts.