Fire destroys 15 houses in Shimla district

Shimla, Jan 27 (UNI) Raging forest fires have gutted 15 residential houses in this district of Himachal Pradesh today, destroying property estimated to be in hundred thousand of rupees, fire and police sources today said.

Over 100 rooms in 15 houses in Chaitla village of Kotkhai area of this district were gutted in a raging forest fire that engulfed these houses, though no loss of life was reported in the incident, they said.

The sources said there was no loss of life in the fire since these houses were lying abandoned after the residents had moved to new houses in other areas of the district.

Property estimated to be in hundred thousand has been gutted in the fire, which the sources said was being investigated to acertain whether it was a normal forest fire or was caused due to human error.

Local MLA Rohit Thakur has expressed grief over the incident, while assuring adequate compensation to the families whose properties had been destroyed.

The sources said a case has been registered.

UNI