At least nine people, including seven members of two families, were burned to death and several others injured as a deadly fire broke out at Bheramarket slum in Chaktai area early Sunday.
Seven of the deceased were identified as Rahima Begum, 60, her daughter Nazma, 16; Zakir Hossain, 8, Nasrin, 4, Hasina, 35, Ayesha, 37, and Sohagh, 19.
Mohammad Jasim Uddin, deputy assistant director at Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the fire broke out at the slum around 3am from an electric short-circuit.
On information, eight fire-fighting units rushed in and doused the fire around 5am.
Later, they recovered the eight charred bodies from the slum while another charred body of a minor was recovered around 10:30 am.
The fire also burned down around 200 shanties of the slum.
Meanwhile, the district administration formed a four-member probe committee led by additional deputy commissioner Mashudul Kabir to investigate the incident, said deputy commissioner Mohammad Elias Hossain after visiting the spot.
They also distributed Tk 20,000 to each victim families. — UNB, Chattogram
