Diwali turned tragic for some as properties worth crores were gutted in at least half a dozen fires in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla and elsewhere, officials said on Tuesday. At least forty-seven (47) fire incidents were reported. Among these, three were major, reported on Monday night from across the hill state.
A big fire broke out in the upper floors of a multi-story hotel in Manikaran in Kullu district, forcing the tourists and hotel staff to rush out. No casualties were reported, and all tourists were safely evacuated.
Meanwhile, the district of Shimla reported a major fire in each Rampur, Rohru, and Shimla Rural assembly segment. The fire gutted about 10 shops in all, causing huge losses to the owners.
It is learnt that the overall loss in these fires is counted at about Rs 1.40 crore.
At least four shops were burned near the Khopdi Temple in Rampur in Shimla district, while three shops were damaged in a fire near Bhanoti Chowk in Shimla Rural.
Many more shops were destroyed by a fire in the Chidgaon area of Rohru in Shimla.
An electrical shop in Pathiyar in Nagarota Bagwan area of Kangra district was gutted in a fire, with goods worth lakhs of rupees burnt.
According to an advisory by the Himachal Pradesh Fire Services, the general public was asked to burst crackers only in open spaces like parks or large grounds, and away from buildings, vehicles, and flammable substances.
The order only gave permission to burst green crackers within a two-hour frame, from 8 pm to 10 pm. But still, in many parts of the state, the cracker-bursting continued after 10 pm.
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