More than 3,000 people rendered homeless in devastating fire

Kolkata, Mar 9 (UNI) About a thousand hutments were gutted in a devastating fire that broke out in a slum at Panchanna Gram in the southern fringes of the city, rendering almost 3,000 people homeless.

Official sources could not confirm any injury, but eyewitness reports said the probable cause of the fire outbreak was a gas cylinder explosion.

The damage and monetary loss could not be ascertained yet.

The fire which broke out at around 1830 hours spread quickly because most of the hutments were made of bamboo fences and had thatched roofs.

Fire brigade sources told UNI that 15 fire tenders were pressed into action. However, the blaze was too strong to control.

Most of the huts were reduced to ashes.

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