Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, September 28 2009:
A major fire broke out at a house which also store spare parts of vehicles at Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhrimapal under Porompat Police Station at about 11 am today turning properties worth over Rs 40 lakh into ashes.
The totally gutted house belongs to one RK Sashi (37), son of RK Ningthem.
The owner is currently under medical treatment at Chamber of Commerce Hospital, Dharamasala.
When the fire razed, there was no one at home, reports said.
Local residents and firemen from the state fire service battled for nearly one hour to douse the flames that gutted the house and tried to prevent the fire from spreading to the neighbouring houses.
Nobody was, however, injured.
The exact cause of the fire is not yet known.
Fire Service Department officers said, the fire could have broken out from the kitchen at the back of the house, and it might have expanded when the LPG cylinder inside the kitchen exploded.
When the fire fighters reached the spot, the flames had already engulfed a major portion of the house.
Fire officials were concerened that the fire could spread to the adjoining houses which also were stacked with inflammable articles.
Residents of the neighbourhood panicked as the flames spread.
However, the flames were doused after around one hour of fire-fighting.
In the incident, gold and jewellery worth around Rs 5 lakh, spare parts of vehicle workshop worth around Rs 20 lakh and a sum of Rs 15 lakh in cash had been burned.
Besides, the house which was built at the cost of Rs 8 lakh has been considerably damaged, family source said.