We lost whatever we had earned so far, say Fatasil Ambari fire victims in Guwahati

GUWAHATI: Life savings, important documents and precious memories of 213 people were all gutted after a major fire engulfed their residences in the Harijan Colony area at Fatasil Ambari locality in Guwahati on Friday. All they are left with are the charred remains of their houses and belongings and horrific memories of that night.
One of the affected residents, A Ajay (30), told TOI: “The houses that were destroyed in the fire were constructed by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC).”
“I have been scarred after the fire incident. After working for day and night, I had managed to arrange four tola gold for my sister’s marriage and saved nearly Rs 4 lakh. But now everything is gone. I have also lost many memorable photos of my family and relatives,” Ajay added.
Another victim Rameswar Rao said, “The victims are mostly Telugu-speaking people, and most of them are GMC employees. Nearly 15 to 20 cylinders had exploded on Friday night. I lost around 20 to 25 tola gold and cash to the tune of Rs 3-4 lakh. We couldn’t save our documents,” he added.
The cause of the fire has not yet been officially declared by the Kamrup Metro administration.
Pan Bazar Fire station officer Bipul Saharia told TOI, “We have not ascertained the exact cause of the fire. Nearly 23 fire tenders had rushed to the spot and it took us around seven hours to douse the flame. The families were initially shifted to a nearby school, but were later accommodated at the Haryana Bhavan in Fatasil Ambari locality.”
Meanwhile, GMC commissioner Megh Nidhi Dahal told TOI, “As per our records, there were around 53 families whose houses were gutted. The Kamrup Metro administration is looking after the relief supplies. But as the victims are GMC employees, so, we are looking into their long-term rehabilitation. The state government has already announced that permanent homes will be built for them, but it will take time.”