Over 40 houses gutted in devastating blaze in India

NEW DELHI, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Over 40 houses were gutted in a devastating fire Wednesday in northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, police said.

The fire broke out in Khasani village of Shimla district, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh.

"Over 40 houses were completely destroyed in a fire which broke out early today in Khasani village in Rohroo subdivision here," a police official posted in Shimla said. "The fire has left 50 families homeless."

According to officials the fire spread quickly and engulfed the locality.

"The houses were mostly built in wood and the fire reduced over 40 of the structures to ashes by the time the fire tenders reached the spot," the police official said.

Locals said they struggled hard to prevent the fire from spreading in the locality having a cluster of about 150 houses.

A local government official Babu Ram Sharma said it took more than five hours for the firefighters to contain the blaze.

"The victims have been provided temporary shelter, clothes and ration," Sharma said. "We will soon make a loss assessment and all possible assistance will be given to the victims."

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police officials said they were trying to ascertain the reasons that triggered the devastating blaze.

Locals suspect electric short circuit as the reason behind fire.

Chances of fire in Indian villages and cites are usually high as people usually ignore safety standards vis-a-vis fire and store fuel and combustible materials in a haphazard manner. Enditem