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300 huts destroyed in massive fire at Davidpet

Special Correspondent

Official sources say the hamlet is prone to fire mishaps

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

GUTTED: A woman wailing over the loss of her house and properties in a fire mishap in Davidpet in Puducherry on Saturday.

Puducherry : Davidpet in Uppalam Assembly constituency, situated beyond the Boulevard limits, presented a heart-rending scene on Saturday when a massive fire razed over 300 huts. At least 10 fire engines from Puducherry and its neighbouring urban and rural areas were pressed into service to bring the raging flames under control. Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders burst when the flames spread fast from inside some of the huts.

A team of fire service personnel, under the supervision of Assistant Divisional Fire Officer Balla Krishtaya, battled for nearly three hours to extinguish the fire. An informed source told The Hindu that this was the fourth fire mishap during the last five years in Davidpet.

One could see the fire-ravaged families wailing over lost houses and household belongings.

Senior Superintendent of Police Chhaya Sharma and the Superintendents of Police (North, South and Rural areas) rushed to spot, and police cordoned off the area.

Revenue Department officers comprising Sub-Collector Vasanthakumar, Revenue Officer Asokan and Tashildar Yashwantayya were on the spot. An informed source said that all relief and rehabilitation works were pressed into service.

Rice, food packets and drinking water were provided to the affected people as part of immediate relief measures by the Revenue Department.

Police have registered a case and initiated investigation. The cause of fire was not immediately known. There was no loss of life and cause of fire was being investigated by the authorities. A senior Fire Officer said that the hamlet had been prone to fire mishaps quite often. The residents are either workers in Puducherry municipality or daily wages earners. Puducherry Municipal Council chairman B. Sridevi and AIADMK legislators A. Anbalagan (Uppalam) and Ohm Sakthi Sekar, visited the fire-hit hamlet and consoled the people.

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