Devastating Fire Guts House, Grocery Shop in Udharbond; Two-Hour Delay by Fire Brigade Angers Locals

A massive fire broke out in the Chappanahal Tea Garden area under Udharbond, Cachar, on Sunday morning (November 23), reducing a residential house and a grocery shop to ashes. The incident occurred at around 5 AM at the residence and shop of local resident Nazrul Islam, triggering panic across the neighbourhood.

According to locals, the sudden blaze engulfed the house and shop within moments. Fire & Emergency Services and police were informed immediately, but by the time help arrived, the flames had already caused devastating damage. Locals alleged that the fire brigade, located barely 3–4 km away, reached the spot nearly two hours late, forcing villagers to battle the inferno themselves using water drawn from a nearby well.

Nazrul Islam, whose family lost everything in the incident, narrated the terrifying moments. “I heard a sound coming from my shop, then locals shouted ‘Fire! Fire!’ I ran out and saw my entire shop burning. It was around 5 in the morning. I woke my kids and rushed them outside. By the time I moved towards the shop, the flames were ravaging everything inside. Our goods, refrigerator, inverter, and the newly stocked godown—everything is gone. Even our documents and a donation box for the local mosque have been burnt. We are three brothers, all the gold our wives had, along with valuables worth more than Rs. 20 to 30 lakh, has been destroyed—paddy and rice too,” he said.

He further alleged, “Locals called the fire brigade more than 100 times. They didn’t respond. They reached here 2 hours late. If our villagers hadn’t fetched water from the well, neighbouring houses would have been engulfed too.”

The affected family consists of three brothers—Akbar Ali, Ajgar Ali, and Nazrul Islam—living together as a joint family of 12 members, several of whom sustained burn injuries. All household furniture, grocery items, gold ornaments, important documents, and stored goods were completely destroyed. Property worth several lakh rupees has reportedly been lost.

While the fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, enraged locals confronted the fire brigade upon their arrival, initially asking them to return as the blaze had already been brought under control. Udharbond Police later reached the spot and helped calm the situation.

A detailed assessment of the total loss is underway.