Six persons, including three children, were charred to death in a fire that broke out in a village in the Nauradhar area of Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh, officials stated on Thursday.
Initial investigation suggests the fire started from the ‘chula’, a traditional cooking place, inside a house in Talangna village late on Wednesday night. Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Sangrah shared this information.
Sirmaur deputy commissioner Priyanka Verma informed that six persons died in the blaze, while one individual has been sent to the hospital with burn injuries.
The deceased have been identified as Naresh, Tripta, Kavita, Sarika, Kritika and Kritik.
Talangna is a remote village in the Sangrah subdivision and is not connected by road. By the time local residents noticed the fire and rushed to help, the flames had already spread and caused heavy damage.
Six bodies have been found from the site. According to the SDM, two of the deceased belonged to Rajgarh in Sirmaur district, while four were from the Nerva area of Shimla district. He added that he was on his way to the village.
The victims included the daughter and son-in-law of the house owner, who had come to attend the Boda Tyohar celebrations. The festival had brought several family members together at the house.
Boda Tyohar is the biggest annual festival of the Hattee tribal community of Sirmaur district, which has a population of around three lakh. During this festival, married daughters traditionally visit their parental homes.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sigh Sukkhu offered his condolences to the affected family. "The tragic news of the passing of six individuals in a fire incident that occurred last night in the village of Talangna under Ghaduri Gram Panchayat of Shri Renukaji Assembly Constituency is extremely heartbreaking. This heart-wrenching accident has filled the heart with profound sorrow. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Instructions have been issued to the administration to immediately investigate the incident and provide all possible assistance to the affected families," he wrote on X.
"I appeal to all residents of the state to use fire, 'angithi', and heaters with utmost caution during the winter season. It is essential to ensure that these are completely extinguished before sleeping and that gas cylinders are turned off, so that such painful accidents do not recur. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the grieving families to bear this immense sorrow," he added.
Expressing grief over the tragic incident, former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur shared on his X handle, "The incident of a devastating fire in Talangna village of Ghaduri Gram Panchayat in the Nauharidhar area of the Shri Renuka Ji Assembly Constituency of Sirmaur district last night is extremely heart-wrenching. The news of the untimely death of six people in this tragic accident is profoundly painful.”
"In this difficult time, my deepest condolences are with the bereaved families. I urge the administration and local people to provide every possible assistance to those affected. May God grant peace to the departed souls and give the families the strength to bear this immense sorrow," the former chief minister stated.
State Congress chief Vinay Kumar expressed grief over the incident and directed authorities to provide immediate relief to the affected families.
"I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the tragic fire that broke out last night in Talangana village of Ghanduri Gram Panchayat in our Shri Renuka Ji assembly constituency, resulting in the death of 5 people. May God grant strength to the bereaved families in this painful moment, and may the departed souls rest in peace," he shared on his social media handle.
BJP state president Rajiv Bindal has also shared grief over the tragedy. "The news of the tragic death of six people in a devastating fire last night in Talangana village of Ghaduri Gram Panchayat in the Shri Renuka Ji area of Sirmaur district is extremely sad and heartbreaking," he posted on his social media account.
This is the second major tragedy to hit the Sangrah subdivision within a week. On January 10, at least 14 people were killed and 52 others were injured in a bus accident in the same region.
More details about the incident are awaited.
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