New Year began on a tragic note for residents at Kuda Village, Lower Naharbari, and Lhomithi Colony when three separate devastating fires affected more than one thousand families.
Kuda Village: Fire broke out at Kuda Village on January 1, around 10:30 a.m. which left six families displaced, that included one non-Naga family and five Naga families.
According to fire officials, fire was suspected to have been caused by a short circuit. Two fire tenders each from Central and West fire stations were pressed into service to bring the fire under control. There were no casualties while property damaged was yet to be assessed at the time of filing this report.
Lower Naharbari: A massive fire engulfed Lower Naharbari, Ward 8 East Dimapur, on January 2, rendering more than 1,000 families homeless. The blaze destroyed over 250 households, comprising mostly thatched structures, with the majority of the affected were non-Naga settlers and around 10 Naga families.
According to the affected families, the fire started around 11:30 am, though its exact cause was yet to be ascertained. Nine fire tenders from Central, West, Chümoukedima fire stations, including assistance from the Assam Rifles, were pressed into service in order to control the raging fire and prevent it from spreading further.
While there were no casualties from the fire, a one-month-old infant tragically died in a stampede that followed as residents fled in panic to escape. Properties worth around Rs 3 crore were estimated to be damaged in the fire.Fire broke out at a plot of land owned by two individuals which were leased out to settlers on annual tax. Residents said timely demolition of structures to cut off spread of the flame by using JCBs prevented further tragedy.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, several NGOs, civil society organisations (CSOs), and individuals rushed to provide aid in cash and kind to the affected families. Councilors from the East Dimapur Town Council (EDTC) were also on-site providing relief, while both land owners also provided make shift shelter and cloths to the victims.
Lhomithi Colony: Another fire incident rocked Lhomithi Colony around 12:30 noon on January 3, rendering 11 non-Naga families homeless. Fire officials said two fire tenders each from West and Central fire stations were pressed into action to douse the fire, adding that no casualties were reported. The fire officials suspected the fire to have started while cooking.
These devastating fires within the perimeter of Dimapur city also highlights the need for more stringent fire safety measures. One notable aspect was that roads leading to colonies are so narrow that most times fire tenders find it almost impossible to reach the spot early to douse the fires.