Fire due to short-circuit guts 200 shanties in Barola, no casualties

As many as 200 shanties were gutted in a fire that broke out in the Barola area on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. Officials suspect that a short circuit in one of the shanties was responsible for the blaze. While there was no loss of human life, the residents lost their important documents, clothes, valuables and other household goods.

According to a senior police officer, a short-circuit occurred around 1 am in one of the shanties built in an open ground in Barola village in sector 49 which triggered the fire. The fire engulfed an LPG cylinder. The cylinder blast spread the fire to nearby houses in which other cylinders went off and the fire turned uncontrollable.

Around hundred small LPG cylinders blasted as the fire became massive gutting more than 200 shanties. Heavy damage was reported till the fire tenders reached the spot. No casualties were reported but many were left stranded in the scorching sun on Monday morning.

Fire officials said that around a dozen fire tenders were pressed into action and the flames were doused after six hours of efforts.

While the station officer reported that 120 shanties have been damaged, locals claimed that the number was over 200. Locals also alleged that the fire tenders reached late at the spot even after several calls were made to them.

"Despite numerous calls, the fire brigade reached the spot after one-and-a-half hour," said Yaseen, a resident of the area. He added that the fire spread quite quickly, driving everyone out of their houses.

The slum area is built at a vacant plot and around 200 families reside over there. Most of them belong to West Bengal, Bihar and eastern part of the country and work as daily-waged labours, rickshaw pullers and house helps in nearby societies. The fire has left them with no food, clothes or shelter.