E-Paper
Three fire mishaps reported on Diwali night in Himachal
In the first case, a bus stationed at the Hamirpur bus depot suddenly erupted in flames; in another incident, a furniture shop in Reckong Peo in Kinnaur was reduced to ashes, causing loss worth crores; In Kullu’s Padharni village, a house caught fire, causing loss worth lakhs
Three fire incidents were reported in Himachal amid Diwali festivities on Sunday.
In the first case, a bus stationed at the Hamirpur bus depot suddenly erupted in flames.
Fire officer Rajendra Chaudhry said his team received information about the incident around 8.30pm and immediately rushed to the spot. Though the bus that caught fire was completely gutted, other buses parked in the vicinity were shifted to safety, thus preventing the flames from spreading further, the fire officer said. “Had the fire brigade team not reached in time, the loss would have been much higher,” he added.
It took the team about half an hour to douse the flames.
In another incident, a furniture shop in Reckong Peo in Kinnaur was reduced to ashes, causing loss worth crores.
In Kullu’s Padharni village, a house caught fire, causing loss worth lakhs, amid the celebrations. Locals tried to douse the flames but in vain.
To respond to any untoward incidents during the festivities, the state’s fire department had deployed 751 employees and 858 trained home guards across the region, working in 12-hour shifts to ensure round-the-clock vigilance. Additionally, 241 firefighting vehicles were strategically stationed throughout the state for swift response in case of fire.
