Arunachal: Over 50 Houses, Shops Gutted in Yingkiong Fire
Rupees 4 Crore Worth Properties Destroyed, Few Injured.
YINGKIONG- More than 50 houses and shops were reduced to ashes and property worth crores of rupees was destroyed after a devastating fire broke out at Yingkiong, the headquarters of Upper Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh. The massive fire broke out in upper market area of Yingkiong around 2.30 pm Thursday that reduced 54 houses and shops to ashes, informed locals.
Though there was no report of human casualties, however, three persons sustained minor burn injuries, informed Arunachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang, who represents Tuting-Yingkiong assembly constituency.
“Fire tenders rushed to the spot, took time to contain the intensified inferno. Properties worth around Rs 4 crore have been damaged as being assessed by the district administration,” Libang said.
“Many shopkeepers lost their all merchandise, while the fire mishap affected about 120 to 175 people. Though the Deputy Commissioner gave immediate relief, the state government will grant relief on receipt of loss assessment report,” he said.
The victim families were shifted to boys’ hostel of government higher secondary school, Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya and girls’ residential school, Libang said, adding that the cause of the fire was yet to be known and under investigation.
Yingkiong Market Welfare Committee (YMWC) secretary Taram Libang informed that several shops have suffered heavy damage. The fire tenders could not reach on time and the fire was doused by united efforts of local people, traders, Army and BRO personnel, he added.
