At least 11 fires reported across Assam on Diwali, three injured, homes and warehouses gutted

At least 11 fire incidents were reported from different parts of Assam on Diwali evening, leaving three people injured and causing extensive damage to residential properties, a trader’s warehouse and large stocks of jute. Preliminary reports suggest that firecrackers, electrical short circuits and a burning lamp may have triggered several of the blazes.

The incidents were reported from Tamulpur, Jorabat, Morigaon, Silchar, Mankachar, Rupahihat, Bajali, Palashbari, Mangaldoi, Lakhimpur and Sarupathar.

Tamulpur reported one of the most serious incidents, where a fire broke out at the residence of Swapan Das in Namati village while the family members were away. A short circuit is suspected to have triggered the blaze. A gas cylinder inside the house subsequently exploded, intensifying the fire.

The flames destroyed the house, a motorcycle, household belongings, cash and gold. Two people, identified as Dipak Das and Azgar Ali, sustained injuries while attempting to douse the fire. They were admitted to a hospital for treatment. Local residents and firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control.

Another major incident was reported from Ambher village in the 12 Mile area of Jorabat, where a fire destroyed a residential house and injured an elderly man, identified as Ratan Sharma. The fire reportedly broke out while Sharma was inside the house. Local residents suspected an electrical short circuit as the cause. Police and fire personnel rushed to the spot, rescued the elderly man and shifted him to a hospital.

In Morigaon, a major fire broke out at Naokata village after the suspected remains of a firecracker fell on a large stack of jute sticks. The flames reportedly rose to nearly 50 feet and subsequently spread to a nearby heap of paddy straw.

The Morigaon fire brigade, along with local residents and personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), managed to extinguish the blaze before it spread to neighbouring houses. No damage to nearby residential properties was reported.

In Silchar, a fire broke out at a rented warehouse belonging to trader Suman Dhar in the Rangpur area on the night of Kali Puja. A spark from a firecracker is suspected to have triggered the blaze, which destroyed all the goods stored inside the warehouse.

Several other fire incidents had also been reported from different districts earlier.

At Malakhowa in Mankachar, a fire at the residence of Shahidur Rahman destroyed around 100 quintals of jute, along with other property estimated to be worth several lakh rupees.

In Barghuli No. 2 village in Rupahihat, three houses were completely gutted, causing losses estimated at over Rs 7 lakh. The damage included Rs 80,000 in cash.

A separate fire was reported from Bhattadev Nagar in Bajali, where a two-storey building caught fire. A firecracker is suspected to have caused the incident.

Smaller fire incidents were also reported from Palashbari, Mangaldoi, Lakhimpur and Sarupathar.

In Sarapara village in Palashbari, the house of Bhanu Thakuria caught fire in his absence. A lamp reportedly lit by a tenant is suspected to have triggered the blaze.

At Garimari No. 1 village in Mangaldoi, a firecracker is suspected to have set the house of Lalita Mondal and Dipak Mondal on fire. Local residents and firefighters jointly brought the situation under control.

In Lakhimpur, a cycle warehouse near the Shani temple caught fire, with a firecracker suspected to be the cause. Firefighters were engaged in efforts to control the blaze at the time of the latest reports.

Meanwhile, a house belonging to a person identified as Shishir De in Ward No. 9 of Sarupathar was completely gutted. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

The series of incidents resulted in damage to several residential and commercial properties across the state, with preliminary assessments indicating substantial property losses. Investigations into the causes of the fires are underway.