Pathankot:- A painful accident took place today in village Baheri Bagh, near Pathankot, when a terrible fire suddenly broke out in the huts of migrant workers living there. The flames quickly took on a terrifying form and all 35 huts there were burnt to ashes. 13 migrant families were living in these huts. The relief was that when this accident happened, all the workers had gone to work for daily wages along with their families, due to which no loss of life occurred. The real cause of the fire is not yet known.
As soon as the workers working in the fields and nearby areas received information about this incident, they immediately reached the spot. They tried their best to control the fire by throwing soil and water, but the strong winds further inflamed the fire. Due to the huts being made of dry wood and tarpaulins, the fire spread so fast that everything was burnt to ashes in just 10 minutes. By the time the fire brigade reached the spot, everything was burnt.
The victim migrant labourer says, “All our hard earned money, ration, clothes, utensils, Aadhar card, R. C, jewellery and cash accumulated through labour got burnt in this fire. Our three motorcycles also burnt to ashes. Now we have nothing left.”
The affected labourers Ram Lakhan, Munna Lal, Somwati, Kanti, Davinder and Roop Lal etc. who were victims of the fire said while crying that they are originally from Uttar Pradesh. They were earning their living here by working as daily wage labourers and living in huts.
After this horrific incident, now these poor families are facing a serious crisis of food and shelter. The victim families have appealed to the district administration and the Punjab government to provide immediate financial and administrative assistance in view of their current situation.