Khulna: At least 40 houses were gutted and a woman received severe burn injuries on Monday during a fire at a Bihari camp at Khalispur in Khulna.

Local People and Fire Service officers said the fire originated from a rice cooker during cooking food at Bihari camp at the Kohinor intersection in the city at about 12 noon.

The devastating fire in no time engulfed the no-1 shed (locally known as khemar) of the Bihari camp that gutted at least 40 houses there.

Marium, 58, who was cooking food, received severe burn injuries in the fire. She was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) in a critical condition.

Assistant Director of Khulna Fire Service Liakat Ali said, on receipt of information, a total of seven fire trucks from city’s Khalishpur, Daulatpur, Tutpara and Boyra Fire Stations rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after one and a half hours of frantic efforts with the help local people.

Talking to BSS, Officer-in-Charge of Khalishpur Police Station Anwar Hossain told BSS that fire gutted at least 40 houses and damaged valuables worth about at least Tk 10 lakh.

Lawmakers Begum Monnuzan Sufian, Talukder Abdul Khaleque and Mizanur Rahman Mizan, Acting Mayor of Khulna City Corporation(KCC) Anisur Rahman Biswas, Administrator of Khulna District Council Sheikh Harun-ur-Rashid, Khulna Divisional Commissioner Md. Abdus Samad, Deputy Commissioner Nazmul Ahsan, Khulna Metropolitan Commissioner(KMP) Nibash Chandra Majhi, among others, visited the affected camp and distributed relief among the people there.