70 houses gutted in city slum fire; one killed

BHUBANESWAR: In a tragic incident, a person was charred to death and more than 70 houses were gutted as a fire engulfed Mangala slum in the Unit-IV area under the Kharavel Nagar police limits here on Friday.

The deceased, identified as Krushna Sahu, died in the incident as he failed to move out of house, Assistant Fire Officer R C Majhi said. Five persons, who sustained minor burns, have been sent to hospital, he added.

Majhi said the fire, which erupted from a house in the slum at around 11 am, spread rapidly to other houses. Preliminary reports said that over 70 houses were reduced to ashes but exact figure of property damage would be ascertained after a proper survey, he added. 

As many as five Fire tenders were pressed into service to control the blaze. Apart from Fire brigade, volunteers from the Red Cross, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), police personnel and locals assisted in the fire fighting and rescue operation, sources said.

Though the actual reason is yet to be ascertained, locals said the fire broke out after a LPG gas cylinder went off inside the kitchen of a house. 

Trinath Behera of the slum alleged that fire brigade team reached the spot after one hour by the time fire had already engulfed most of the houses. 

Another slum dweller Susmita Behera, who lost her house in the fire mishap, was worried about her daughter’s marriage as she lost all electronic materials, TV, freeze and other household items purchased recently for the purpose.

Meanwhile, BMC Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena along with other officials of the BMC reached the spot and took stock of the situation.