Dimapur: A devastating fire tore through the Burma Camp area of Dimapur, Nagaland, on Wednesday, leaving more than 100 families homeless.
The incident, which occurred behind the bazaar area at Burma Camp, adjacent to the railway lines, resulted in the destruction of over 130 houses, primarily shanty constructions.
Eyewitnesses reported that the inferno erupted around 9pm from a single house, quickly spreading across the locality. The intensity of the blaze was exacerbated by the bursting of multiple LPG gas cylinders. No casualties were reported.
An official from the Central fire station in Dimapur informed EastMojo that it took almost three hours for a total of eight fire tender trucks to douse the fire. Five trucks were dispatched from the Central fire station, two from the West fire station, and one from Chumoukedima. Despite these efforts, the exact cause of the fire remains unclear and is yet to be determined.
Speaking to EastMojo, 18-year-old AV Rajan Acharya, a Class 12 student of Pranab Vidyapith Hr. Sec. School, shared the loss of his books and belongings. “I have exams starting today, and everything is gone. All our life’s savings, documents, my books, clothes – everything. We are beggars now. I don’t know what to do,” he said.
His father, who earns a daily wage, finds himself without the means to reconstruct their home, provide for the family’s needs, or support his son’s education.
The aftermath of the fire paints a grim picture, with properties worth several lakhs of rupees reduced to ashes. Among the losses were private two-wheeler vehicles, people’s personal savings in cash, home furniture, clothing, and other personal belongings.
Like Rajan, many others suffered the irreplaceable loss of crucial original documents.
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Most of the residents in the area were daily wage workers.
Eighteen-year-old Vika Aye, a student at Bethesda Hr. Sec. School, narrowly escaped the flames. “I was almost about to die, but saved by God’s grace,” he said. He managed to salvage his school bag with books and certificates as the fire consumed everything else he owned.
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