One killed in massive fire in Shillong

At least one person died in a massive fire in Shillong's Jail Road area where several buildings were gutted.

Shillong: At least one person died in a massive fire in Shillong’s Jail Road area where several buildings were gutted, police said on Saturday.

Fire personnel and a team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are engaged in dousing the blaze and operations are underway.

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The fire broke out in the afternoon in one of the buildings but the cause of the blaze is yet to be ascertained, officials said, adding narrow streets in the area have hampered fire-fighting operations.

The deceased was identified as S Kumar, and he was working at one of the godowns gutted in the blaze, East Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police Sylvester Nongtynger said.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma expressed concern over the incident and asked the district administration to provide aid to the affected people.

“Concerned about the fire incident that occurred today in Jail Road, Police Bazaar, Shillong that caused huge loss to life and property. Have asked the district administration to assess the damages and to assist the families affected by the incident,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.