LAMKA, September 8: A half century old house belonging to Ngaizaniang wife of (L) Nengzasun at Tipaimuk Road caught fire which roared on for more than one a half hour before a joint effort of the fire brigade, Army, police and local residents managed to douse it.
However, by the time the fire was douse, the house build of mostly wood was completely razed down and party damaged another house which belonged to the chief of the area, Hinghal Lamka Thangkhosuanmung Guite who is also the local District Council member.
The fire occurred around 8:30 am.
The MDC thanked individuals who helped like Suan Hauzel, Hauzalian, Songkhankhual, Tonsianmung, officials of the PHED, 7 AR, Firebrigade and police teams who helped in the effort to douse the fire which had almost engulfed his house totally.
A 50 strong team of the 7 AR led by Captain Thapa came with their water carrier truck helped in the dousing the fire and then later helped in clearing the fragile remnant of the burned house.
The Army men with their tool cleared the unstable structural remains. While the next house of Vungzanun`™s kitchen was on fire.
The intensity of the fire was such that the residents were not able to even bring out their essentials like clothing which were gifted by others.
The fire is suspected to have been started out from the room of a tenant Kama Kumar of Bihar who was running a grocery shop.
It is learnt that he had left his three children to cook food and the gas cylinder which was leaking caught fire, luckily, none of the children were hurt.
Five other cylinders exploded in the fire. However, no one was injured.
The sister in law of the house owner, Niangnu said she was overwhelmed by the support of the public and the AR.
The fire brigade came at the right time, but due to the intensity of the fire, without the help of the water from the different sources, it would have been real hard for the fire brigade alone to control it, she said.
Meanwhile, CJM Churachandpur Lamkhanpau has supplied wooden planks for the rebuilding of the gutted house while the Chief of Hiangtam Lamka and EM of ADC Churachandpur Thangkhosuanmung Guite provided five bundles of steel sheet for the roof.
The owner of the house Ngaizaniang and her brother said that their monetary loss, excluding the price of the building will be approximately Rs 10 lakhs and Rs 3 lakhs respectively while that of the five tenants would come to approx. Rs 12 lakhs which together will come to around Rs 26.5 lakhs including the partially burned house.
The tenants are reportedly shop owners, suppliers and iron scrap collectors. All together there are more them 40 people living in the one storeyed building including of both the owner and tenants.