Kathmandu, Nov. 27 -- A devastating fire tore through the densely populated Korail slum in Bangladesh's capital on Tuesday evening, destroying or damaging nearly 1,500 shanties and leaving thousands of residents displaced, officials said. No casualties have been reported so far.According to Rasid Bin Khalid, duty officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department, firefighters battled the blaze for 16 hours before bringing it fully under control. The department's director, Lt. Col. Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, said the inferno engulfed a vast area and the number of affected residents is "extremely high."

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