Angul: Around 20 families were rendered homeless after 60 houses were gutted in a major fire mishap at Karatpata village in Angul on Sunday.
As per sources, the fire broke out first at a thatched house of a family in the village at around 3.30 pm and subsequently engulfed other thatched houses in the locality.
Though the exact cause of the fire is still unclear, it is suspected that an electric short circuit led to the mishap.
Two fire tenders from Angul were immediately pressed into service and only after two hours of operation, the flames could be doused.
Senior district administration officials informed that only after proper assessment, the extent of damage can be ascertained.