Saiful Islam, Baufal Correspondent:
Eight houses have been gutted in a fire in Bauphal, Patuakhali. Fire service members rushed to the spot after receiving information and brought the fire under control. The families have suffered extensive losses.
The fire broke out at a Kazi house in the area adjacent to the Bogha Ferry Ghat in the upazila at around 9:30 pm yesterday. However, the extent of the damage could not be confirmed.
Locals said that the fire first started in the kitchen adjacent to the residence of the local Athar Qazi.
The fire spread very quickly. Before the people in the house realized anything, the intensity of the fire increased. One by one, 8 houses were burnt to ashes. It was not possible to save any furniture in the damaged houses. Locals believe that the fire may have started from an electrical short circuit. The victims complained that despite repeated attempts to contact the mobile number of the Bauphal Fire Service Station, no one received the call for a long time. It was possible to inform about the incident after about half an hour.
Then the fire service arrived at the scene after an hour's delay. Md. Sabbir Ahmed, warehouse inspector of Bauphal Fire Service Station, said, "The fire broke out from a stove fire in a house. We got the news at 9:50 am."
Later, upon reaching the spot, the fire was not under control. The water supply was good in the riverside area, so it was possible to control it quickly. Regarding the complaints of the victims, he said, they first called the emergency service number 999. There was a delay in getting their connection. But we did not take much time to reach the spot.
