500 families rendered homeless as fire ravages slum in Assam-Nagaland border
A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAJAN: A cluster of roughly 500 huts were burnt to ashes in a devastating fire that broke out in the Dudu colony area adjacent to the Assam-Nagaland border on Tuesday.
Eight fire tenders from both Assam and Nagaland were pressed into service to bring the fire under control. It took over two hours for the fire fighting team to contain the fire. A 4-year old minor girl was charred to death while over 500 families were rendered homeless by the inferno.
The area happens to be a slum and residents are migrant labours who mostly work in neighbouring Dimapur- the commercial hub of Nagaland.
As per the primary assessment gathered from the locals, the fire started from a kitchen and spread to the neighbouring huts triggering three consecutive explosions of gas cylinders in the vicinity. Police are also suspecting it to be a case of arson with vested interest and more investigation is on to ascertain the exact source of the fire.
Meanwhile, the Bokajan administration has set up relief camps for the affected families and is assessing the loss incurred. Several NGOs and students organizations have also stepped in and are initiating the relief and rehabilitation processes in the fire site.