New Delhi, March 09 2009: A sudden inferno has completely destroyed the most important market centre of Ukhrul district head quarter, Wino bazar around 12.30 pm today.

Eyewitnesses told Hueiyen Lanpao at the spot that about 150 shops including some houses worth crores of rupees had been completely burnt to cinders in the worst ever fire in the district.

Among those buildings destroyed, there were 12 belonging to Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), four residential buildings of the TNL, one building of Tangkhul Saknao Long, around 80 shops and 70 houses.

Besides, one tower of Airtel, one generator and other machines were also gutted.

One video hall named RK Studio, a restaurant belonging to one Phunjang Raikhan and two other shops of his were razed to ground by the inferno.

Eyewitnesses said, the strong March winds fanned the fire to spread to one building after another.

The fire easily engulfed the rows of shops and buildings since they were mostly constructed with wood.

At least six civilians were injured.

two of them were taken to District Hospital with minor injuries, while another four were treated at private clinic.

Another young girl aged 13 received after-shocks and was rushed to the hospital.

However, no casualty was reported.

The whole town was engulfed in smoke as flames soaring up to 50 metres high continue to raze one house after another in this thickly populated posh locality.

By the time the fire brigade arrived on the spot at around 12:45 pm, it was beyond control.

Assisted by the strong wind, it started eating shop after shop within minutes.

Roars of cylinder blasts were heard all over.

All vehicular movement came to a grinded halt as the inferno started catching up the wooden buildings across.

The Assam Rifles swiftly pitched in their firefighters from the northern direction while the Fire Brigade and the police, assisted by the civilians fought the fire from the western side.

The DIG of B Range, Brig S Mander personally supervised the rescue operation.

Very close to the vicinity were more than 500 students appearing their HSLC exam.

However, the exam carried on as normal.

It took more than 4 hours for the fire brigade assisted by the Police, the Assam Rifles, Manipur Rifles to finally doze off the flames.

By the time the flames died down, almost 100 houses of the town's commercial hub were reduced to cinders.

In the midst of the billowing smoke from the rubbles, the scene is replete with only signs of agony, loss and helplessness everywhere.

The loss of property is estimated at crores of rupees.

The fire was believed to have started from a tea-hotel.

It was reliably learnt that the District Civil Administration is arranging emergency �relief camps' for those who lost their homes.

Hundreds left homeless.

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