A resident said more than 200 families have been affected following the devastating inferno which broke out before they retired for the night. The area, which also houses four garages, has been reduced to cinders. Sources informed that atleast 10-15 vehicles were also destroyed in the fire.
Differing versions have emerged on the cause of the fire, though the exact reason was yet to be ascertained. One section has pointed towards explosion of a LPG cylinder, while another has attributed it to an electric short circuit which sparked the fire.
A mega mela in the vicinity, organised by Shokhuvi Students’ Union, however, has been spared by providence.
The scene inside the mela was more than dramatic as the panic stricken people ran amok in their attempt to salvage their belongings. Mention also may be made here that fire fighters fought bravely to bring the fire under control.
In another fire incident in Kohima, suspected to have started from a short circuit, three thatched houses were completely razed, rendering seven families homeless in New Market Colony, located in the heart of the capital town on Saturday afternoon.
Staff and in-patients of Oking Hospital & Research Clinic were evacuated from the hospice for fear that the fire may spread into the building.