Two houses gutted in fire in Shimla village

Shimla, Jun 10 (PTI) Two houses were gutted in a fire that broke out here on Wednesday afternoon after a suspected short circuit, officials said. No casualties were reported in the incident.

According to preliminary reports, the fire started in the house of Layak Ram Bakseth in Shirguli village in the Balsan area due to a spark in an electricity meter around 2:30 pm and quickly spread to neighbouring houses.

The blaze intensified as the houses were made primarily of wood. Loud explosions were heard as the fire raged on. Villagers rushed to the spot and tried to bring the fire under control, but they could not do much.

Fire tenders were rushed from Theog, Chopal and other places, but they were unable to reach the spot due to the lack of a motorable

road. Portable pumps and natural water sources are being used to douse the fire, a fire official in Shimla told PTI.

An official confirmation of the cause of the fire is awaited.

Officials of the local administration are expected to reach the spot shortly, after which an assessment of the damage will be done.

Meanwhile, the Forest Department is investigating a fire that broke out in the Dhalun forest in Kangra district on Tuesday night. A Forest Department team visited the site on Wednesday.

Around 60 hectares of forest area has been affected by the fire. The blaze was so intense that several people had to be rescued late on Tuesday night, said Chief Conservator of Forests, Dharamshala, Vasu Kaushal.

Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty. A name has surfaced during preliminary investigation and a thorough probe is underway regarding this lead, he said. PTI BPL DIV DIV