A devastating fire destroyed the homes of five families in Namana village, under the Theog subdivision of Shimla district, on Saturday. The blaze was so intense that the houses of Balak Ram, Sant Ram, Hari Ram, Layak Ram, and Rati Ram were reduced to ashes in no time. In this tragic incident, not only the property but also a mute animal, a cow, was burned to death.
The large fire engine was helpless, the villagers struggled:
The narrow road leading to the village posed a major obstacle in efforts to extinguish the fire. Due to the narrow road, the large fire department vehicle was unable to reach the scene. However, local residents, demonstrating courage, worked tirelessly with firefighters to control the fire using small pumps and spray pumps, but by then all five houses had been completely destroyed.
Upon receiving information about the incident, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDM) Theog, Shashank, immediately rushed to Namana village and assessed the situation. The affected families have suffered a massive loss of crores of rupees in this fire. The administration immediately provided interim relief to these displaced families. At present, the root cause of the fire is unknown and an investigation is ongoing. This accident once again highlights the difficulties emergency services face in reaching areas with narrow roads in mountainous areas.
