Udupi, Jul 1: A sudden outbreak of fire in the migrant workers colony behind the Karavali Junction here on Tuesday destroyed at least seven huts. Fortunately, no one was injured.
A fire tender from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the spot on time and prevented the fire from spreading to other huts in the colony.
The huts were constructed with dry coconut leaves and supported by bamboo sticks and had plastic cover making them inflammable.
The people living in these huts are migrant workers from Bagalkot and Koppal districts. Sadashiva Shettigar, Fire Station Officer, said that the station received a call at 9.50 a.m. But it was difficult to reach to the colony due to lack of a proper road. Hence, the fire tender was stopped at the nearest spot and water hoses were dragged to the colony and the fire extinguished.
According to him, the fire appeared to have broken out from a spark from an earthen stove, which might not have got extinguished. As per information given to him by the residents, the cost of each hut burnt was Rs. 1,500, and the material inside each hut was estimated at Rs. 1,000, he said.
Ashok from Kushtagi taluk in Koppal district, who loads and removes goods from transport carriers, said that he was not present when his hut was burnt. He had left home early in the morning and returned at 2.30 p.m. “I had kept Rs. 7,000 in cash, a cycle, clothes and groceries. All have been burnt,” he said.
Chennavva from the same taluk, who works as a sweeper, said that she too had lost about Rs. 7,000, which she had kept in a box, besides groceries and clothes in the fire. “I returned from work at 2 p.m. and only then, I learnt about the fire,” she said.
Malappa from Bagalkot said that he had lost 10 grams of gold, which he had kept in the hut. All the workers demanded compensation from the authorities for the losses suffered by them.
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