PremiumAt least two hundred shanties were gutted when a major fire broke out in Sector 49, Ghasola village of Gurugram. Fire tenders have rushed to the spot, and have doused the fire. The spread of fire was helped by the bursting of more than 150 small and big gas cylinders, authorities said.
According to reports, all residents have been evacuated from their huts and it took about three hours to douse the fire.
No one has been hurt in the fire accident in Gurugram.
Reports have stated that fire officials confirmed that a call for the fire incident was received at around 11.55 a.m. at the Sector-29 fire station.
A fire official, said that over 20 fire tenders were pressed into service.
More than 20 fire engines were pressed into service with 100 firefighters, and it took more than four hours to control the fire, but by then a large number of shanties had gone up in smoke, said a senior fire officer.
It is estimated that more than 2,000 people became homeless in the fire, and even more lost their valuables such as TVs, refrigerators, cash, jewellery, and important documents.
Police, civil defence team and some private NGOs were on the spot to help people get to a safe space.
According to a fire official, the fire broke out Monday at 11.30 am in a shanty and even as the residents called up the fire brigade, several cylinders burst one after another, helping the fire spread with a ballistic force.
"Teams of several fire personnel, civil defence and police personnel were deployed in the fire-fighting and evacuation operations. Most probably the incident was caused by an electric short-circuit," officials said.
Fire officials have attributed the escalation of the fire accident to plastic covers, tarpaulin sheets, wood and bamboo with which the huts in the settlement were covered.
"There was some property loss to residents but no death or injuries were caused. The residents are daily wage labourers working at construction sites and houses," they said.