Over 120 houses gutted in Odisha’s Bhanjanagar

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhanjanagar, Feb 10:

A devastating fire today engulfed over 120 houses causing extensive loss to property in southern Odisha district of Ganjam.

The fire broke out at Khamaredi village under Bhanjanagar block in the district due to unknown reasons. Families from over 80 houses have been rendered homeless after the catastrophe.

The blaze was so intense that two fire tenders from Bhanjanagar were pressed into service to douse the fire.

The inferno which broke out at around 4 am was contained after around four hours.

PD DRDA Ganjam Vijay Amruta Kulange, Sub Collector Laxmikant Sethy, Tehslidar Sambit Rout, Additional Tehsildar Laxman Charan Soren, Block Development Officer (BDO) and other district administration officials reached the spot to oversee the firefighting operation.

Paddy, household articles and food grains worth lakhs were reduced to ashes in the inferno. The Harijan Sahi, Dhoba Sahi, Khadala Sahi and Kumbhar Sahi are the affected areas.

No loss to life was reported in the incident.

As per a preliminary estimate, around 400 people have been affected in the incident. The district administration officials have turned the village school into a temporary shelter home and provided cooked food to the victims.

The village under Dumakampa panchayat is around 12 km from Bhanjanagar town.