Dibrugarh: A devastating fire tore through a densely populated residential locality in Tinsukia town on Monday morning, reducing sixteen rented houses to ashes and leaving numerous families homeless. No casualties were reported in the incident.The fire broke out at Ananda Nagar in Ward No 3 of Tinsukia town, a thickly clustered residential neighbourhood. The houses, which were rented quarters, belonged to local businessman Binoy Mishra. Authorities are yet to confirm the cause of the blaze, though investigation is under way.The fire spread with alarming speed, leaving residents with no time to salvage their belongings. The situation was made considerably worse when seven to eight LPG cylinders stored within the premises exploded in rapid succession, sending the flames surging through the tightly packed quarters. Families fled the scene in panic, escaping with little more than the clothes on their backs.“Everything happened so fast. The cylinders started bursting one after another and within minutes the entire area was engulfed in flames. We could not save a single thing,” said one of the affected residents.Nearly half a dozen fire tenders were rushed to the spot and firefighting personnel battled the blaze for approximately three hours before bringing it under control. However, by the time the fire was finally doused, every one of the sixteen houses had been entirely razed to the ground.Tinsukia MLA Sanjoy Kishan visited the site shortly after the incident and took stock of the situation firsthand. He expressed deep concern for the affected families and assured them of full support from his end.“The families have lost everything they owned in a matter of minutes due to the cylinder blasts. I have instructed the district administration to assess the losses immediately. We will ensure that every possible assistance and relief is provided to those who have been displaced,” the MLA said during his visit.
