Village gutted in fire from kitchen - Around 250 huts destroyed in afternoon blaze, 1,200 villagers wait for relief

Some of the huts that were gutted in the fire at Dakshin Lodhan 

village on Monday. Picture by Mehedi Hedaytullah

TT,Islampur, April 25: A village in Goalpokhar block with around 250 huts was razed to the ground in a fire that broke out in a kitchen this afternoon.

No one died in the blaze, nor was anyone injured in the fire that flattened Dakshin Lodhan village with a population of about 1,200.

Police said the fire started around 12.30pm.

Mohammad Mostafa, a farmer from the village, 40km from Islampur town, said the flames were first spotted in his neighbour Mohammad Arshad's house. "The fire started from his kitchen, most probably from the coal hearth. Before we could realise anything, the fire spread. There is a pond about 200m from the village but that has almost no water because of the dry spell," he said.

"We are poor and most of the houses here are made of bamboo and mud with thatched roofs, which the fire engulfed easily. Two fire engines came from Kishenganj after an hour. But the flames had spread so rapidly that little could be done. We could hardly save anything. Now we are looking up to the administration for relief," Mostafa added.

The nearest fire station from the village is at Kishenganj in Bihar, 35km away.

Around 2pm, four fire tenders, one from Islampur, two from Kishenganj and one from Dalkhola, 50km from Goalpokhar, arrived. Till about 7.30pm, the firemen were still at work.

Abdul Karim, another farmer from Dakshin Lodhan, said: "Had the fire engines come earlier, some huts could have been saved. We have not received any relief yet and the families are staying in the open."

Goalpokhor block development officer Raju Sherpa who visited the village, said: "Around 250 huts, where about 1,200 people stayed, have been destroyed in the fire that broke out in a kitchen. We are trying to get an estimate of the loss. No one was injured in the blaze."

Three women were injured while trying to escape the fire or saving their belongings. They were released after first-aid at the local health centre.

Sherpa said: "We are making a list of those affected and they will be provided with polythene sheets. We are going to distribute flattened rice and jaggery among them."

Trinamul MLA of Goalpokhar, Gholam Rabbani, said he was in Calcutta. "As soon as I heard about the fire I contacted by brother Gholam Monir. He is the saha sabhapati of Goalpokhar panchayat samity. I have asked him to ensure that the affected people get immediate relief. I am taking a train tonight so that I can be there tomorrow morning," he said.