A fire that reportedly broke out due to an electric short circuit gutted more than 35 houses of the Meghwar community in Bhaddari village near Umerkot on Friday; however, no human casualties were reported.
Apart from household items, clothes, carpets, gold, silver, quilts and dowries of a number of girls that were reduced to ashes, two cows and goats were also burnt to death. The villagers estimated the loss to be over four million rupees.
Jamal Samejo, a resident of Bhaddari, told Pakistan Today that the blaze originated due to electrical short circuit and soon engulfed half of the village. Over 35 houses were turned into heaps of ash due to strong winds from the west, he added. Other residents, whose houses were gutted, told Pakistan Today that their entire life savings have been turned into ashes as the costly carpets prepared on the looms have also been destroyed and now they are sitting under the open sky. They complained that even the fire brigades that were called from Chachro and Umerkot could not arrive on the scene as the vehicles were unable to ply in the sandy areas.
The villagers had to extinguish the fire themselves after hectic efforts but could not save anything.
