Around 50 huts gutted in Dum Dum fire
A fire broke out in the slums around Dum Dum's Sudhir Shur College area this afternoon. Explosions were heard in succession. The incident of fire broke out suddenly in the slum in the Chatakol area of Dum Dum.
Oblivious of what fate had in store, twenty-eight year-old Mohman Zakir, a carpenter after receiving his payment of Rs 1.5 lakh thought that his saving was secured under lock and key.
He started his work at the adjacent, Timber depot and workshop as usual at 10 am.
Being the first to see flames that had already engulfed the back portion of the timber depot, he rushed to his adjoining labour hostel only to find that the fire had also spread to the old building. His apprehensions of loosing his belongings and money, turned out to be true when the building was consumed in the flames within an hour. Nothing could be saved.
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The fire broke out at around 10.30 a.m. from a Timber Depot and workshop on circular road near Lakkar Bazaar in Shimla.
The blaze was so intense owing to the dry timber and saw dust from the workshop that in a few minutes all was burnt down along with the adjoining two storeyed old labour hostel.
Over 200 people mostly Kashmiri Khans were living in he hostel for the last many years. They are reckoned as the lifeline of the hills for their ability to undertake the heavy labourious work .
"The fire has devoured all, our belongings and hard earned money, " lamented Mohman Zakir from UP who added that he was to deposit his money in the bank in the afternoon during his lunch hours. He had been saving to repay the loan of Rs 3 lakh that he had raised for his marriage.
He is not the solitary one who lost his savings , there are many of others like him who have lost cash in thousands to the flames.
Fire Station Officer, D C Sharma said ,"We were informed about the incident at 11.15 a.m after which 6 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control the fire blaze."
While , the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, he said that the losses is estimated to be over 50 lakh.
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