At least 87 shanties and 14 shops were gutted in a devastating fire that broke out at a slum in Baunia Beribadh area of Dhaka’s Mirpur early today.

At least 30 people suffered minor injuries while they were trying to escape the fire that originated at a shanty in the slum beside Kalshi road around 12:45am.

A medical team on behalf of Dhaka North City Corporation provided first aid at Ananda Niketon Model School near the slum, doctors of the medical team said.

Photo: Shaheen Mollah/Star

Visiting the spot, Nadim Hossain, an official of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, told The Daily Star that at least 87 shanties and 14 shops were gutted in the massive fire.

People who lost houses following the fire took shelter at the school where they were provided food, he said.

Photo: Shaheen Mollah/Star

Eleven units of firefighters brought the fire under control around 1:50am, Ershad Hossain, a duty officer at Fire Service Civil Defence Headquarters, told The Daily Star.

On information, five fire-fighting units rushed to the spot to douse the blaze and six more units of firefighters joined later, he added.

Two livestock animals were also burned to death in the fire, reports our staff correspondent from the spot.

The fire service officials suspected that the fire might have originated from an electric short circuit in the slum.