Odisha village blaze kills 120 domestic animals

Bhadrak (Odisha), Jan 5 (PTI) A major fire reduced to ashes 20 thatched houses and left around 120 domestic animals dead in a village in Odisha's Bhadrak district, officials said on Monday.

The incident occurred at Chhatrapada village in Tihidi police station area on late Sunday night.

Though no human casualty was reported, nearly 20 cattle and over 100 goats died in the blaze, which left several families homeless.

According to victims, the fire spread rapidly through the closely built thatched houses, giving residents little time to save their belongings.

Though the exact cause of the blaze is yet to be ascertained, a short circuit could have sparked the fire, police said.

Villagers said acute water scarcity hampered their efforts to control the fire in its initial stages. Fire services were alerted promptly, but by the time fire tenders reached the spot, most houses had already been reduced to ashes.

Tihidi Tahasildar Jayadratha Acharya and local public representatives including MP Avimanyu Sethi have visited the affected area. PTI COR AAM AAM NN