Kurseong: Five families rendered homeless in devastating fire

Kurseong: A major fire broke out in the Godamdhura area of Coffeebari under Singell Tea Estate in Kurseong on Thursday. The fire razed five houses to the ground. Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Chief Anit Thapa visited the spot and assured the victims of all support. He also assured them that their houses would be rebuilt. No loss of human life has been reported.

The fire broke out at around 9:30 am on Thursday. The Fire department was notified. Two fire tenders rushed to the spot. After around 3 hours of intense battle, the flames could be controlled. Cause of the fire could not be ascertained.

Such was the intensity of the fire that soon five houses were transformed to ashes. According to locals, the fire spread so rapidly that there was no time to salvage anything. “We could not save anything including money, jewellery, documents or clothes. Everything turned into ashes. We have nothing now,” stated Niten Rai.

The victims who lost their houses to the fire include Purna Subba, Saraswati Subba, Kundan Subba, Niten Rai and Sukhlaxi Subba.

Upon receiving news of the incident, Anit Thapa personally visited the site to assess the situation. Speaking to the media, he confirmed that all five houses were completely gutted by the fire, leaving the affected families in deep distress. “I coordinated immediately with the offices of the BDO and SDO to ensure the necessary relief measures are put in place. The affected families pleaded with me to help them rebuild their homes. We will definitely rehabilitate them,” Thapa assured. He also called on local residents, organisations and well-wishers to stand in solidarity with the affected families during this difficult time.