Over 500 huts gutted in fire

Mandya, Mar 3 (UNI) Over 500 huts were reduced to ashes in an accidental fire at Tamil colony in the city rendering nearly 5,000 people homeless.

However, there were no casualties in the fire.

Eight people, including three policemen, were injured when the people, enraged over the delay in the arrival of fire tenders to the spot, torched a police jeep and threw stones at buses plying on Bangalore-Mysore state highway.

A fire tender, one bus and a lorry were damaged in the stone pelting.

It was believed that the fire started from one of the huts in the slum.

Headquarters Assistant Chandrashekar said the district authorities had provided shelter and food to the affected.

Nearly 25 fire tenders, including those from Mysore and Maddur, extinguished the fire after a ten-hour battle.

UNI BSP RS SY DB2117