Massive fire breaks out in Pangi village

A massive fire broke out at Udeen village, under the Shun gram panchayat, about 40 km from the subdivisional headquarters Killar, destroying property worth Rs 20-25 lakh. The fire, which started around 1.20 pm on Saturday, reduced eight rooms to ashes, leaving four families homeless. Thankfully, no loss of life was reported.

The families of — Aman, Amarjeet, Pawan Kumar and Bhani Chand lost all their belongings, including food supplies, clothing and bedding, leaving them ill-prepared for the harsh winter. Due to the remote location and the poor condition of the roads, fire trucks could not reach the site. Firefighters rushed to the village on foot and, along with local residents, managed to extinguish the flames, but not before the fire caused extensive damage.

Local administration quickly stepped in to provide relief. A team from the Revenue Department, led by Naib Tehsildar Shanta Kumar, visited the site to assess the losses and ensure additional support for the affected families.

Expressing sorrow over the tragedy, local MLA Dr Janak Raj urged the state government to extend maximum assistance to the victims. “Our team immediately responded to the incident, but the condition of the road prevented us from dispatching a fire truck. Our staff and villagers worked tirelessly to control the blaze,” said Pawan Kumar, the leading fireman in Pangi.

The incident underscores the need for better infrastructure and preparedness in remote areas like Pangi to prevent such losses in the future.