Bagerhat, March 24 -- Firefighters successfully brought 95% of the fire under control by Monday afternoon after it broke out in the Shapla Beel area of the Sundarbans on Sunday.

Despite the progress, sporadic flames and smoke were still visible at the base of several trees, said Sakria Haider, Deputy Assistant Director of Bagerhat Fire Station.

The firefighters began dousing the flames with water from the Bhola River around 1 pm on Monday. Previously, efforts had been hindered due to a water shortage, and responders were waiting for the evening tide to assist in the operation, Haider added.

Authorities expect to fully extinguish the fire by Monday night. So far, five acres of forest land have been destroyed.

Alongside the firefighters...