15 shanties gutted in fire

Many were rendered homeless after around 15 shanties were gutted in a fire that broke out at Mominpur on Monday morning.

The local residents spotted smoke billowing out of a shanty on Brown Field Road at Mominpur on Monday and informed the dwellers of the shanties to evacuate the place. The area was soon covered in thick black smoke causing serious inconvenience to the local people who took part in the rescue operation. The incident triggered tension among the shanty-dwellers who ran helter-skelter after being panic-stricken. The local residents managed to evacuate everybody before the fire had engulfed the entire area.

The local residents tried to douse the flame but they failed to reach close to the source of the fire as the area was covered with smoke. The fire soon spread to other shanties. After being informed, the firefighters rushed to the spot.

The process of extinguishing fire got hampered as the shanty-dwellers staged a demonstration in front of the fire officials alleging that fire tenders reached the spot late. The local residents alleged that the fire could have been checked and the impact could have been lesser if the fire tenders would have reached the spot on time.

The firefighters acted on a war footing to douse the flame. The fire was brought under control in two hours. The firemen first restricted the fire from spreading in the locality.

The police and fire brigade officials have, meanwhile, started a probe in this incident. According to the preliminary investigation, the fire officials suspect that an electrical short circuit might have caused the fire. The police are, however, investigating if there was any foul play behind the incident. State forensic department officials also visited the spot and collected samples. The fire officials are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.