More than 45 houses and shops were burned down in a fire on Saturday in a market area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Dirang town in West Kameng district. Most of the houses that were gutted were both shops and residential buildings, The Arunchal Times reported.
“The devastating fire spread on both sides of the narrow road, claiming several shops and houses in a span of one hour,” said Circle Officer Koj Yabiyang.
The cause of the fire, which broke out around noon, is not yet known. No casualties were reported from the blaze.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police rescued around 100 civilians from the blaze and helped douse the flames. Authorities were also able to save property “worth lakhs”.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who is an MP from Arunachal Pradesh, said troopers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Sashastra Seema Bal, as well as the local police and residents, had made “all out efforts” to save lives.
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