Itanagar: A suspected electrical short circuit sparked a massive fire that destroyed eight houses and rendered several families homeless in Arunachal Pradesh's Itanagar shortly after midnight on Thursday, officials said.
While no injuries or fatalities were reported, the fire completely destroyed residential buildings and rented accommodations at Pappu Nallah area, causing property damage estimated to be worth several lakhs of rupees.
The fire broke out at Puroik Colony around 12.20 am, prompting the deployment of three fire tenders and a team of 11 firefighters.
Fire personnel battled the flames for more than three hours before bringing the situation under control, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to nearby houses.
According to officials, preliminary investigations suggest the blaze may have started from an electrical short circuit in a rented house, based on the account provided by the tenant. They, however, said the exact cause will be confirmed only after the investigation is completed.
Officials added that the first fire engine reached the site within minutes of receiving the emergency call, while two additional fire tenders were rushed in to strengthen the firefighting operation.
Later on Thursday, Itanagar MLA Techi Kaso visited the affected locality along with officials from the Itanagar Capital Region district administration and the Ward No. 13 corporator to review the extent of the damage.
Immediate assistance was provided to the affected families and tenants, and the MLA directed the district administration to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the losses to facilitate compensation for eligible victims in accordance with government norms.