Nine shops, two houses gutted in fire in Arunachal

Itanagar, Oct 21 (PTI) At least nine shops and two houses were reduced to ashes in two different fire incidents that broke out in Tirap and Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh, officials said on Tuesday.

A massive fire broke out at Khonsa market in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district, in which at least nine shops were completely gutted, an official said.

Tirap District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Emily Tingkhatra said the fire was likely caused by firecrackers during Diwali celebrations on Monday night.

The fire broke out at around 11.30 pm and completely gutted nine shops and also partially damaged 12 shops, she said.

However, there is no report of any casualty, the official said.

Fire tenders from Khonsa Fire Station doused the fire. The firefighters were helped by personnel of Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force, State Disaster Response Force and local volunteers, the official added.

Tirap Deputy Commissioner Techu Aran and other officials visited the Khonsa Bazaar on Tuesday to assess the damage.

Expressing concern that despite repeated instructions by the district administration mandating every shop to keep fire extinguishers, the DC said most shopkeepers have failed to comply.

He directed the district disaster management authority to conduct a proper assessment and extend necessary relief to the affected shop owners.

Expressing regret over the incident, Khonsa West MLA Wanglam Sawin directed the district administration to properly assess the losses.

Meanwhile, two kutcha houses were completely gutted in a fire incident that occurred around 10:30 am on Tuesday in Koreng village in Siang district.

No casualties have been reported in the fire. Further assessment of damage is being carried out by the district administration, an official statement said here.

The district administration team, led by deputy commissioner Tayi Taggu, and accompanied by Pangin additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Gamtum Padu, along with DDMO Obang Appum, visited the site and provided immediate relief assistance to the affected families, it said. PTI CORR UPL UPL RG