The Hindu : Front Page : 40 huts at Boomiyanpet destroyed in fire

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40 huts at Boomiyanpet destroyed in fire

Staff Reporter

— Photo: T.Singaravelou

reduced to ashes: The huts that were razed on Sunday.

PUDUCHERRY: Forty thatched huts went up in flames at Pavanan Nagar, Boomiyanpet, on Sunday afternoon.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

According to fire personnel, the fire broke out at 1.50 p.m.

Five fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames.

Collector G. Ragesh Chandra said that the families that had lost their houses were shifted to a community hall and food was provided to them.

No one was injured, he said.

The government would provide relief to the affected families on Monday.

“The families whose houses have been damaged will receive a total of Rs. 10,000. This includes Rs. 7,000 from the relief of the Revenue Department and Rs. 3,000 from the Chief Minister’s relief fund. We will also provide them clothes and look at ways to re-settle them,” Mr. Chandra said.

Officials said that the families were residing in the huts, which were temporary shelters, as the Slum Clearance Board was yet to construct tenements for them.

Accommodation

“We will discuss with the Chief Minister the matter of providing houses to the families. We need to look at temporary accommodation till the tenements are constructed. We will finalise on the accommodation after holding discussions with the Chief Minister,” Mr. Chandra said. Meanwhile, fire personnel said that property worth Rs. 7 lakh was destroyed in the fire.

However, the officials said that the extent of damage and loss of property was yet to be ascertained.

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