More than 50 houses and properties worth lakhs of rupees were burnt to ashes and a large number of people left in the lurch as a major fire engulfed Geta Basti near the Biju Patnaik Park here on Thursday afternoon.
Members of all hundred families of the slum went without food as they remained busy in extinguishing the fire along with fire personnel. As many as four fire tenders took hours to put off the giant blaze.
While the fire was engulfing all assets of the dwellers, screaming of little children for food was eating into the hearts of parents. District administration officials were very late to reach the slum and extend support to them. Thanks to some local people who provided food to a few of affected people.
More than a hundred families are residents of the slum, a majority of them being rickshaw-pullers, roadside retailers, daily-labourers. When slum dwellers returned home at noon to cook food for lunch, the incident took place in one of the houses, reportedly due to explosion of a lPG cylinder. The fire soon spread from one house to another at a faster pace and engulfed the whole area in a few minutes.
Though no causality was reported till the reporting of this story, but properties worth several laksh of rupees were reduced to ashes. The actual loss of properties, however, was yet to be ascertained by the district administration and the BMC authorities.
Though late, some BMC officials and police rushed to the spot to help the slum dwellers.
The slum dwellers demanded that the administration immediately provide food, dress materials, blankets, drinking water and all other basic supports to them for their survival. They also demanded that houses built for them on the war-footing so that they can be saved from the intense cold.
Fire and personnel were still trying to ascertain the reason behind spread of the fire.