Shimla: Five residential houses were completely gutted in a massive fire that broke out in Dhar village of Jubbal in Shimla district late on Thursday night. No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.
The fire spread rapidly, engulfing the houses of five families. Local residents joined fire personnel in efforts to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby houses.
On receiving information about the fire, a team from the Jubbal fire station reached the spot with firefighting equipment. Given the scale of the blaze, fire tenders from Rohru, Kotkhai and Tikker were also called in.
Firefighters, along with police personnel and local residents, worked through the night to bring the situation under control. One of the major challenges was preventing the flames from spreading to adjoining houses and other parts of the village.
After sustained firefighting efforts, the blaze was brought under control. Fire personnel remained at the spot until morning to monitor the area and prevent any possibility of the fire reigniting.
The affected families belong to Nanak Chand Chauhan, Harnam Singh Dhalta, Narendra Singh Dhalta, Ginda Devi and Anil Dhanta. Their houses were completely destroyed in the fire, resulting in substantial property loss.
The fire department and district administration are assessing the extent of the damage. The Station House Officer, Jubbal, confirmed that five houses had been gutted and there was no loss of life. The cause of the fire has not yet been established, and police have begun an investigation.
Rohit Thakur expresses grief, assures assistance
Education Minister Rohit Thakur expressed grief over the incident and conveyed his sympathies to the affected families.
He said losing homes built through years of hard work was deeply distressing and assured the families that they would not be left alone in the crisis.
Thakur said efforts would be made to provide all possible assistance to the affected families. He added that the matter of providing relief under the disaster relief norms would be taken up with the Chief Minister.
The minister also directed the administration to provide immediate relief, complete the damage assessment at the earliest and expedite the necessary formalities.
Meanwhile, the administration is working on arrangements for the affected families, while police and officials continue to assess the damage and investigate the cause of the fire.
