By Our Staff Reporter
Haridwar, 10 Feb: A massive fire broke out in the huts at Pantdweep ground, reducing at least a dozen to ashes. Fortunately, there were no casualties as the fire brigade managed to bring the fire under control.
Eyewitnesses said a fire broke out in some huts located at Pantdweep in Haridwar late last night and as the flames spread rapidly, locals initially attempted to douse the fire with water but failed to control it. The fire brigade was alerted and arrived at the scene, managing to bring the blaze under control after significant effort. The fire is believed to have been caused by a short circuit.
Haridwar Kotwali in-charge, Kundan Singh Rana confirmed that the fire, which erupted late last night, was extinguished after prolonged firefighting efforts. However, by then, at least a dozen of the huts were gutted along with all the belongings inside. Since the huts were located adjacent to each other without much space in between, the fire spread quickly from one to another, fuelled by strong winds.
Panic spread in the area as gas cylinders were found inside some of the huts, raising fears of explosions. Authorities said initial investigations point to an electrical short circuit as the cause of the fire. Sources claim that the slum settlements in Pantdweep, Rodi Belwala, and Chandighat remain vulnerable to such incidents, but not much has been done by the local administration to ensure installation of any kind of fire safety measures in the area. Hundreds of families live in these settlements including some sadhus.
