M A I N   N E W S

Cracker fire claims 6 lives
Ashok Sethi and Pawan Kumar

Batala, November 15
Notwithstanding the strict measures taken by the district administration, a cracker shop here caught fire resulting in the loss of six lives, including five children, on Divali yesterday. The Divali celebrations turned into a grim tragedy for six families which lost their kin between the age group of 14 to 22.

According to an eyewitness, Dr Ashok Gupta had set up a cracker stall at his clinic at the Gandhi Camp locality. At around 10 a.m., when Dr Gupta finished performing ‘pooja’ at his clinic, a lighted matchstick fell on the crackers and within minutes the whole complex was turned into an inferno. All five children who were working as salesmen at the stall were engulfed in flames as there was a huge explosion and the entire wooden kiosk caught fire.

Six persons who were seriously injured in the fire were taken to hospital where the doctors declared them dead.

According to the police, it took more than three hours to control the fire in which the clinic and a few shops nearby were gutted.

The police has registered an FIR against Dr Ashok Gupta under Sections 304, 202 and 188, IPC, and under the Explosives Act.

Dr Gupta has reportedly been absconding and the police has launched a manhunt to arrest him. A large number of people attended the funerals of the deceased in the tragedy.

The grim tragedy has exposed loopholes in the working of the municipal committee and the fire brigade which not only arrived late but also did not have a sufficient quantity of water. A number of people have lodged a strong protest with the civic authorities over the ghastly tragedy in which three persons were also injured.

Meanwhile, the Information and Public Relations Minister, Mr Natha Singh Dalam, announced that the Punjab Government would pay a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. Mr Dalam also visited the grief-stricken families and conveyed his condolences.

HOSHIARPUR (UNI): Six ‘jhuggis’ were gutted in a fire here on Wednesday but there was no loss of life. The police said on Thursday some of the ‘jhuggi’ dwellers were celebrating Divali when the ‘jhuggis’ behind an industrial unit caught fire.

Meanwhile, a report from Amritsar said fires caused by crackers broke out in six localities of the city on Wednesday. There was no loss of life in these fires, the police said.

SHIMLA (UNI): A residential house was gutted when a fire broke out due to a cracker on the occasion of “Divali” at Dhuni village in the Kalpa area of Kinnaur district on Wednesday.

However, there was no loss of life in the blaze which reduced 10 rooms of the house to ashes, the police said. The houseowner was away from home when the incident occurred.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the local police reached the site and controlled the blaze. The loss of property in the fire was being assessed.

SONEPAT (OC): Goods worth several thousands of rupees were destroyed in a series of fire incidents in the city and nearby villages on Divali on Wednesday.

According to a report, a fire broke out in a kiryana store on the Sonepat-Bahalgarh road near a private hospital in Sikka Colony here around 1 a.m. on Thursday. Goods worth about Rs 35,000 were damaged in the fire. Short circuit was stated to be the cause of the fire.

According to another report, two shops were gutted in separate fire incidents which took place near a local cinema house and a petrol pump on the Sonepat-Rohtak road here on Wednesday. Iron goods and electricity gadgets were damaged in the fire. At both these places, the fire was extinguished after an hour or so.

In Chandigarh, the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, expressed grief over the loss of six lives in a fire incident at Batala yesterday. He has announced Rs 50,000 as ex-gratia relief to the next of kin of each deceased. The Deputy Commissioner of Gurdaspur has been directed to provide free medical aid to all those who suffered burn injuries in the fire. 

4 kids killed

Ballia (Uttar Pradesh), November 15
Four children were killed as a fire swept a cracker shop in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh today.

Three of the victims belonged to one single family, police sources added. UNI

Dhumal visits lepers’ colony
Tribune Reporters

Shimla, November 15
The Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, celebrated Divali with a difference. He visited lepers’ colony at Phagli and distributed sweets, eatables and crackers among them. Mr Narender Bragta and Mr Roop Dass Kashyap, ministers, also accompanied the Chief Minister. Later, he visited Balika Ashram at Mashobra to celebrate Divali with inmates. A cultural programme was presented on the occasion.

KUMARHATTI: Power breakdown due to some snag in a transformer hit Divali celebrations here on Wednesday. Year before last, too, residents of the area had to celebrate “dark” Divali due to a major power breakdown. Inquiries from the Dharampur subdivision electricity office revealed that the non-functioning of one phase had led to power failure.

FATEHABAD: Divali brought smiles to the faces of children from slum areas when they received school uniforms, bags, books, stationery and sweets from Ms Santosh Indora, Chairperson of the District Child Welfare Council. These items were distributed under a project for street children.

HOSHIARPUR: Divali was celebrated with great enthusiasm. People performed puja and exchanged greetings and sweets etc. Shopkeepers, especially halwais, did goods business. No major untoward incident was reported from any part of this district.

SONEPAT: The entire city and its suburbs were lit up with candles and earthen lamps on the occasion of Divali. In the evening, pujas were performed.

SRINAGAR: It was a different scene on Divali in Kashmir, particularly in Srinagar, on Wednesday. The continual bursting sounds of crackers provided relief to people for these were no life-taking explosions but Divali festivities.