Guwahati: Four persons lost their lives in a major fire in the city early on Friday, while another blaze reported in a different locality caused extensive property damage. Rescue personnel said both incidents resulted in significant losses.The first fire broke out at Joymati Nagar in the Jalukbari area at around 2:30 am, about 7 km from the Pandu Fire and Emergency Services Station (F&ESS).According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the deceased were identified as Quddus Ali (55), his wife Kajali Begum (40), their son Shafiqul Ali (23), and another son aged 12, whose identity is yet to be confirmed.“The family hailed from Lakhipur in Goalpara district. Their bodies were recovered and handed over to the police for necessary formalities,” said a rescue personnel from Pandu F&ESS.He said the family lived in a residential house with a GI‑sheet roof and brick‑and‑tin walls, owned by Rehana Choudhury.“The exact cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed, but it is suspected to have been triggered by either a faulty electrical circuit or a gas cylinder leak from a nearby hotel where Quddus worked. We arrived at 2.36 am, and it took nearly two hours to douse the flames,” the personnel said.Six fire tenders were deployed, though only three could reach the site due to the narrow approach road. “Even the vehicles that managed to enter faced difficulties because of cars parked along the route,” he added.Property worth Rs 10 lakh was involved in the blaze, of which Rs 2 lakh was salvaged.The second incident occurred at around 4 am in the city’s Six Mile area, where a fire broke out at a restaurant owned by Manash Chetia. Rescue personnel from Dispur F&ESS extinguished the flames using three tanks of water. No casualty was reported. Officials estimated the property loss at Rs 20 lakh, while assets worth Rs10 lakh were saved.
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