Karail blaze: Firefighters pump water from lake as supplies run out

A massive fire continues to engulf the Karail slum in the capital, forcing firefighters to pump water directly from the nearby lake as tanker access remains blocked and supplies run dry.

Fire officials confirm that 16 units are now battling the spreading flames, but progress has been severely hampered by traffic congestion and the slum’s narrow lanes.

With fire trucks stuck far from the frontline and water tanks emptied, responders have installed multiple generators along the canal shoreline to pump water through extended pipelines.

“Tankers can’t reach the scene because of gridlock. The units that managed to get closer ran out of water, so we are using generators to draw water from the canal,” a firefighter at the scene told Jago News.

At least three generators have been set up, connected to a network of long hoses stretching deep into the slum.

The Fire Service received the first call at 5:22 pm Tuesday, November 25. According to Rashed Bin Khalid, Duty Officer at the central control room, 11 units were initially dispatched, with seven arriving at 6:05 pm. Additional units were later mobilised as the fire intensified.

Residents flee with whatever they can carry

Panic has spread across the densely populated settlement as flames consume rows of tin houses. Terrified residents are scrambling to salvage belongings – TVs, refrigerators, furniture, gas cylinders, and bags of clothes.

Witnesses describe scenes of chaos and heartbreak.

A woman named Aklima Khatun stood crying beside the road.

“They didn’t let me save anything… everything I bought with so much struggle is gone. Why did God do this?” she cried.

Another resident, Aziz Sheikh, was seen carrying a television on his head and a gas cylinder in his hand.

“These are all I could save. The rest burned in front of me,” he said.

Nearby, schoolboy Hasan dragged a large sack while his mother Lima Akhter followed with two bags.

Lima said they had survived fire before – but never like this.

“We’ve lived here six years. This is the second fire. Last time we didn’t lose much – but this time everything is gone.”

With night falling and flames still advancing, firefighters continue the desperate battle to contain the blaze – now fuelled by wind, density, and delay.