Over a dozen shops were gutted today in a devastating fire that broke out in the main market near the famous Baba Balaknath temple at Deotsidh in Hamirpur district, officials said.
"As per preliminary reports, fire was caused this morning due to short circuit and fire tenders were rushed from Hamirpur to control the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjoining areas and the temple complex," an official said.
Local MLA Inder Dutt Lakhanpaland visited the spot and handed over Rs 5,000 to affected people.
He directed the fire department to park two fire tenders in the Deotsidh kaswa on regular basis so that there was no recurrence of such incidents.
Meanwhile, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal expressed grief over the incident and blamed the state government and temple authorities for it.
"Had the authorities purchased the fire tenders and kept these in state of readiness, the mishap could have been avoided," he said.
He demanded that adequate compensation be paid to the victims immediately as meagre relief given by the administration would not be sufficient for rehabilitation of affected families whose properties and other belongings had been destroyed in the fire.
