Nainital- An elderly woman died due to a fire in a heritage building here. The deceased has been identified as 82-year-old Shanta Bisht, who is the sister of renowned historian and environmentalist Dr. Ajay Rawat. The fire broke out around 10 pm on Wednesday and was brought under control by 2 am.
Meanwhile, more than 40 employees from three departments were engaged in the rescue operation. Dr. Rawat said that his sister Shanta Bisht died due to injuries sustained in the fire. Shanta Bisht's son Nikhil Bisht, who somehow managed to get out of the building, fainted as soon as he came out.
According to Vinod Kumar Verma, who runs a mobile phone shop near the building, smoke started coming out of the building at around 10 pm and he immediately informed the fire brigade, after which the firefighters reached the spot. However, its tank soon ran out of water after which it was sent back for refilling.
A heritage building built in 1863
The old London House building was built in 1863 when Nainital was developed as the summer capital of the United Provinces, an administrative part of British India. The building was the residence of Dr. Rawat's sister. Shanta Bisht's sister Karnalta Rawat also died in a fire in 2020. Nikhil Bisht is an art director who has worked in several Hindi films including "Barfi".