A devastating fire destroys a crowded slum and leaves thousands homeless in Bangladesh capital

DHAKA Bangladesh AP A devastating fire in a crowded slum in the heart of Bangladesh s capital has destroyed shanties leaving thousands homeless administration announced Wednesday No casualties have been broadcasted The blaze which began Tuesday evening at the massive Korail slum in Dhaka was doused Wednesday after hours revealed Rashed Bin Khalid a duty officer at the Department of Fire System and Civil Defence The fire utility s director Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury stated about shanties were burned or damaged in the blaze and thousands remained homeless According to official content about families a great number of of them setting refugees live in the slum which has an area of more than acres hectares The slum straddles Dhaka s upscale Gulshan and Banani neighborhoods and it is surrounded by clusters of high-rise apartment and office buildings Heavy smoke blanketed the area as flames engulfed the dwellings overnight On Wednesday the residents who lost their homes were desperate to collect their valuables as they scoured the debris The firefighters noted they struggled to reach the area because of narrows alleys Dhaka a city of million as of has hundreds of slums where people from rural Bangladesh migrate to because of poverty and exploitation Climate-induced disasters also push them to the city slums where they live on daily labor such as driving rickshaws and working as housemaids and cleaners