TURA, March 30: As many as nine houses, including four dwelling homes, were completely destroyed in a major fire that got ignited after a high voltage power line fell on the houses in Asil Mindil village of Songsak Block in East Garo Hills on Tuesday morning.
The tragedy occurred at approximately 8:30 in the morning when the 11 KV power line passing above the village snapped and landed on the thatched and CGI roofs of the village homes starting a fire that quickly went out of control.
A tree that had weakened from Monday night’s thunderstorm fell on the power line near the village and snapped the wire causing the destruction.
With the power line flowing with electricity, the villagers could do little to save their homes and belongings as the fire consumed everything in its path.
The villagers lost their clothes, savings, household items including beds, utensils and anything else that was inside when the wire snapped and started the fire. Fortunately, no lives were lost. The fire destroyed two pucca houses belonging to two families in the village, two quarters constructed by villagers for school teachers including two rice barns or jams to store paddy as well as separate kitchens.
This is the second instance in recent weeks of a high-tension wire tripping and setting off a blaze in the region.
Recently, the 11 KV line reportedly tripped in another area of Songsak setting off a fire in a plantation that villagers extinguished risking their lives and being unaware that there was a live high-tension wire on the ground.
Lightning strike destroys another house
The thunderstorm that lashed Garo Hills region late Monday night was accompanied by hail and lightning resulting in the destruction of a villager’s home in Jengjal region of West Garo Hills.
Village elder, Ental Sangma of Botegre in Jengjal region, had his house struck by lightning late in the night causing a fire which too destroyed all his belongings.
The surroundings of the house had been cleared of all the large trees and in its place an areca nut plantation had been set up when the lightning strike took place destroying everything.
This being the pre-monsoon season, the region faces extensive freak weather activity with frequent thunder squalls accompanied by strong winds, hail and lightning.
Every year, casualties, human or otherwise, occur due to these storms.