A fire swept through dozens of butcher shops in city's Nayabazar yesterday killing about 160 mostly cows and goats kept there for slaughtering. The blaze also left a grocery shop employee dead, fire brigade officials said.
The fire started on the first floor of Nawab Yusuf Market from an electric short circuit early in the morning and soon engulfed mostly the meat shops, fire officials said. Many of the perished animals, especially the goats, were kept tied in large iron cages, they said.
Fireman Ketab Ali fell sick while trying to put out the blaze.
Most shop employees who stay in the market overnight were asleep when the fire broke out, witnesses said.
The body of Din Islam, 25, was recovered from the debris of his shop after fire fighters put out the blaze. He died after he ran back to his shop reportedly to retrieve his mobile phone and wallet, Mamun Hawlader, a witness said.
Fire fighters said around 40 mostly butcher shops were burnt to ashes.
"The fire took a few minutes to engulf the whole floor, "said a butcher shop owner Saiful Islam.
He said he had 40 goats tied in an iron case in his shop. "All of them were burnt alive. I could do nothing to save the animals. I just ran for my life," he said.
Saiful said like some other meat traders he also lost a large quantity of meat ready for sale.
A vegetable vendor Mohammad Hasan Ali said he was asleep in his shop with two employees. He was awakened by fire alarm raised by other people living in the market.
It took about two hours for 11 fire-fighting units to douse the blaze.
The traders estimated the loss at about Tk one crore, though fire brigade officials said it would be much less.
Source : The Daily Star
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