ITANAGAR: Four members of a family were killed when a fire swept through Parsi-Parlo town in Arunachal Pradesh's Kurung Kumey district early Thursday (November 12), while the woman's husband remained unaccounted for, officials said.
Deputy Commissioner Cheechung Chukhu said the deceased were a woman and her three minor children. He said the death toll could rise and that the full extent of the damage would be known only after an assessment.
The fire is believed to have broken out around 2:30 am and spread rapidly to adjoining houses. According to the District Disaster Management Officer, 19 houses were completely gutted and five others were partially damaged.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established, although preliminary reports suggest that it may have originated in a kitchen.
A team of officials from the district headquarters in Koloriang reached the affected town on Thursday morning to oversee rescue and relief operations.
The incident has also highlighted the lack of firefighting infrastructure in the remote town. Parsi-Parlo does not have a fire station, and sources said the fire tender stationed at Koloriang, around 38 km away, could not reach the affected area in time to contain the blaze.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu condoled the deaths and thanked the district administration, police, fire services, emergency responders, volunteers and local residents for their efforts. He also directed the authorities to extend all possible assistance to the affected families.
(with inputs from media organisations)