Paradip: At least four persons were reportedly burnt alive and around 60 houses were gutted in major fire which broke out in a slum area at Atharbanki near here on late Saturday night. Properties worth lakhs of rupees were also reduced to ashes as the mishap occurred when all were asleep.
Though the exact cause of accident is yet to be known, police claimed that it took place due to electric short circuit. A stampede like situation was followed in the locality in the night as the intensity of the mishap was so high. The fire engulfed the whole area in a short time as the huts are closely constructed in the slum area. The fire tenders had to toil hard to bring inferno under control.
It was impossible on the part of the local people to bring out the house hold articles from the thatched huts as the blaze was furious. People tried to douse the flame on their own by pouring water from the nearest Taladanda canal.
Later, fire fighters belonging to Paradip Central security forces joined the operation but failed to extinguish. More two teams of fire brigade from IFFCO were pressed into service and ultimately the flames were contained.
Police are investigating various angles of the fire that caused a great loss.