Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: In a major midnight fire inferno at least one person was charred to death, while two Tourism properties worth lakhs of Rupees were reduced to ashes on Tuesday, as Fire Personnel with four Fire-Tenders fought for over 7 hours until Wednesday morning.
The two tourist properties named –Soulmate Beach Huts and Omkar Beach Huts with Restaurants and Huts already shut down for the off-season were burnt down in the fire reportedly noticed at around 00.15 hours of Tuesday-Wednesday night, with a number of Blasts of Gas-Cylinders and AC Units of the two properties.
Incidentally, both the properties reportedly run by leases from respective property owners (landlords), are located surrounding the residential houses on all three sides and face the beach coast on one side.
According to local Panch Nilesh Pagui, a fire broke out in one of the properties, where some workers (Carpenters and Weilders) were reportedly working on a Shed until Tuesday late night according to sources, amidst the raging fire while some of these workers (there were reportedly 8 of them) tried to flee from whatever directions, someone noticed one of the person is not found anywhere, even as all the remaining seven crying for help helplessly watched the fire raging in every directions amidst the incessant rains and cyclonic winds.
Huge blasts apparently from Gas Cylinders and AC Outdoor Units began to rant the air, and it became even more difficult to near the inferno, even as locals and neighbouring residents continuously and successfully tried to extinguish the fire coming towards the residential houses by throwing sand and water, and held the fort to some period till the fire went overhead and became uncontrollable.
Though, no details have come from either the Police who have launched an investigation nor from Fire Services till filing this report, at least 12-15 Huts, Restaurants and Kitchens were burnt in the fire.
A highly burnt human body (only a torso) is noticed within the burnt debris of one of the properties, Canacona Police Inspector Harish Raut Dessai stating a forensic team is required to identify if the remains seen are actually of a human, refused to divulge the name of the victim or the missing person.
‘We have both the owners running these two properties on lease from the land-lords, and also the working party, and they are being questioned as part of investigations’, informed Canacona PI Harish Raut Dessai, who was present at the site awaiting arrival of Forensic team.
Canacona Police Inspector has not ruled out any arrests, stating the arrests of any will be after the outcome of the investigation. “Primarily, the works underway at the site at this time of the year seem not to be proper and legal, but everything will come out in the investigation’” the officer stated.
According to Canacona Fire Station Officer Dhiraj Dessai, the person whose body was found charred amidst the burnt debris is a Carpenter from Rajasthan one of the working party members working on the property to build a Shed. Dessai also informed that since the owners have not yet specified the items destroyed in a fire, the amount of loss though believed to be in lakhs of rupees is not yet estimated. Though owners of both the properties along with the working –party members are in contact with police, and police are conducting further investigation’.
After someone informed Canacona Fire Services, one Fire-Tender reached and valiantly tried to reign in the raging fire, which had already caught the neighbouring (second) property. Soon another fire-tender from Cuncolim arrived and amidst the narrow and little space, operated with lengthy pipes from the roadside. While the two firetenders returned with re-fills were still unable to contain the raging fire, were joined by two larger Fire-Tenders from Margao and Curchorem and together fought the fire with multiple fire-tenders re-fills and finally succeeded in containing the fire at around 8 am in the morning.
Canacona Fire Station Officer Dhiraj Dessai led the Canacona Fire Services Team consisting of Sub-Fire Officer A S Parit, Leading Fire Fighter S K Desai,, Driver Cum-Operators R M Velip, Kunal Komarpant, Fire Fighters S S Mudkudkar and O U Mokhardkar.
While the lakhs of the property was gutted in fire, and after the fire was contained, the worker’s party of Carpenters and Weilders-8 of them) informed that one of their person who has reportedly run towards the beachshore is not seen and missing amongst them.
Even though the cause of the Fire is not yet established, police are trying to bring out the facts with the investigation and questioning the labourers/Workers Party at the Site, who were reportedly working late into unearthly hours of Tuesday night. According to a police source, the fire erupted from the site (where the working party was working from the shade) and due to the strong cyclonic winds soon the fire engulfed the rest of the property, catching up with the neighbouring property.
