Massive Fire Breaks Out In Assam’s Guwahati, Over 150 Families Rendered Homeless

The fire is suspected to be ignited by an electrical short circuit. However, the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

The majority of the houses that were destroyed were thatched houses. All the houses belonged to Riju Ali and the tenants were mostly daily wage labourers. ( Image Source :Pallav Bora )

Guwahati: Over 150 families were rendered homeless in a major fire that broke out at Ajanta Path in the Hatigaon area of Guwahati on Thursday night.

According to sources, no casualties were reported in the incident. However, properties worth several lakhs are believed to have been damaged in the fire.

The massive fire broke out at around 10.30 pm completely gutted over 150 houses in the locality. 

The fire, which started from the house of one Riju Ali, is suspected to be ignited by an electrical short circuit. However, the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

“We were just about to sleep when we noticed a billow of thick smoke rising from another room of our house. We immediately ran to safety and raised an alarm and informed the police and nearby fire station," Riju Ali told ABP Live.

"The blaze spread fast due to the explosion of several LPG cylinders. The inferno engulfed the entire area in no time and completely gutted several houses. We could not save any of our belongings as the devastating fire engulfed the entire area within no time. All of us here have lost everything,” Ali said. 

As many as 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The firefighters struggled for more than three hours to douse the blaze.

“We immediately rushed to the spot as soon as we received the information about the incident. The massive heat made the operation difficult for us and we had to toil hard to bring the fire under control,” a firefighter told ABP Live.

He added, “We always ask the people to be extra cautious especially during this dry season as the majority of the fire incidents are reported during this time of the year. People should take precautionary measures and install fire-fighting equipment at their homes so that the fire could be at least kept under control till we arrive.”

The majority of the houses that were destroyed were thatched houses. All the houses belonged to Riju Ali and the tenants were mostly daily wage labourers.

Soon after the fire broke out, thick smoke enveloped the entire area with panic-stricken people running helter-skelter. Two cars were also gutted in the fire.

Meanwhile, top police officials and personnel from the district administration also rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

Some of the people who lost their homes in the fire moved to their relatives and friends places while many had to spend the night under the open sky.