BHUBANESWAR: At least 130 persons were rendered homeless after a fire broke out in the Mali Sahi slums during wee hours of Thursday. Property worth several lakhs of rupees was incinerated. However, no one was injured. At least 15 firefighters sweated it out for two hours to bring the inferno under control. The source of fire is yet to be ascertained. The Bhubaneswar Fire Station received the intimation at 3.03 am and rushed a team with three tenders. “Given the location of the slum and the narrow alleys, it was difficult to put out the fire,” said fire officer in-charge Siba Charan Mohanty. The roofs of most of the dwelling units were made of materials such as polythene which aided the fire to rage. Some of the houses had assets while others were barely furnished. The total damage is estimated at close to ` 4 lakh. Police sources said two groups of the slums had a fight a few days back, but no report was lodged. While short-circuit has been ruled out, sabotage could be a strong reason.
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