12 families left homeless after fire destroys their houses in Pabna

At least 12 houses were destroyed in a fire today at Hogolbaria village in Pabna's Chatmohar upazila, leaving 12 families homeless.

The displaced families of the 12 houses were able to save their lives but lost all their belongings, reports our Pabna correspondent quoting Md Soikot Islam, Chatmohar upazila nirbahi officer.

The fire spread to all the houses as the firefighters came late, claimed locals. Fire station officials however said that they reached the spot carrying their pumps on three-wheel vans as there are no roads fit for their engines to reach the spot, reports our Pabna correspondent.

The fire originated from a kitchen of a house around 2:00pm today, Chairman of Dathia Bamongram Union Md Nabir Uddin Mollah told the Daily Star.

"When the fire started, we repeatedly called the Chatmohar Fire Station but they did not come immediately. After we informed the police, they [firefighters] came, the chairman said.

 "The fire originated in a remote area and there is no proper road for the firefighting vehicles to go there. As a result, the firefighters carried water pumps on three-wheel vans to reach the area," Dulal Miah, assistant director of Pabna Fire Station, told this correspondent.

"The station dispatched the firefighting team within 30 seconds of receiving information of the fire," Dulal said.

The fire was brought under control around 4:00pm, Dulal said.

"We have already distributed dry food among the victim families and are taking steps to allot corrugated iron sheets for rebuilding their homes," UNO Md Soikot Islam said.