A fire believed to have originated from a candle gutted 19 houses in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur, leaving garment workers homeless and causing an estimated loss of Tk 80 lakh.
The incident occurred around 8:00 pm on Saturday in the Gargaria Master Bari area near Fakhruddin intersection. The houses, owned by Abdul Qadir, were rented to workers employed in nearby garment factories.
According to the house owner, the fire started when a tenant was cooking using a candle. The flames quickly spread to adjacent rooms, engulfing the entire cluster of houses within minutes.
Locals alerted the fire service, and two units from Sreepur Fire Station rushed to the scene. The blaze was brought under control after about an hour of effort, but all 19 rooms and their belongings were completely destroyed.
Several families suffered significant losses. Nasrin and Manik Sarkar, workers at a local garment factory, lost cash, gold ornaments, and valuables worth approximately Tk 6 lakh. Another couple, Asma and Abdul Jalil, reported losses of around Tk 2 lakh, including furniture and household items.
Runa Akhter and her husband Sabuj, who were at work during the fire, returned to find their home completely burnt. Their losses are estimated at Tk 1.5 lakh. Another worker, Bedena Akhter, reported damages worth about Tk 2 lakh.
On Sunday morning, local political figure SM Abul Kalam Azad visited the site and assured support for the affected families. Many victims are now shelterless and awaiting assistance.
Md. Nurul Karim, warehouse inspector of Sreepur Fire Station, said the fire was brought under control after nearly 90 minutes. Preliminary findings suggest the blaze may have originated from a candle. A detailed investigation is underway.
