One person was injured while 150 persons had been rendered homeless after a major fire gutted 16 houses in ancient Malana village in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, around 237 km from Shimla.
State Disaster Management Authority director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said the fire broke out at around 1.48 am on Wednesday in a house in Malana village which quickly spread to nearby houses.
As the village is inaccessible by road, it took some time for firefighters to reach the spot and quickly spread to nearby houses as they are made of wood.
The fire was brought under control by firefighters from one side at 5.02 am but it flared up again on the other side and it took more than one hour to bring it under control at around 6.40 am.
One person had suffered injuries in the accident while 150 persons had been rendered homeless as 16 houses had been completely destroyed in the blaze, he added.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has expressed grief over the fire incident at Malana village in Kullu district in which about 16 houses have been gutted affecting about 150 people.
Thakur directed the district administration to visit the incident site and provide relief and rehabilitation to the affected families.
Deputy Commissioner Kullu Ashutosh Garg along with other officers visited the spot and supervised the relief works.
It is worth mentioning here that Malana is considered to be one of the oldest democracies of the world and locals believe that the village was founded by Jamlu Rishi (sage) who had set rules and customs for inhabitants which are still followed in letter and spirit.
Most of the houses in the village are made of wood and the village has been the subject of many documentary films in the past.