Fire Devastates Tandi Village in Banjar Valley, Several Homes Lost

Shimla, Jan 02, 2025 : A major fire broke out in Tandi village of Banjar Valley, destroying wooden houses built in the traditional Kaskhuni style. The fire spread rapidly, leaving villagers with no time to react. Despite efforts to control the fire, a shortage of water hampered the efforts. Fire trucks were sent from Jibhi, located 7 km away, and additional help was sought from Kullu and Larji, but many homes were already reduced to ashes.

The fire department from Banjar reached the site at 3:01 PM, but without adequate water supply, they were unable to contain the fire. The local administration, along with MLA Surendra Shourie, visited the site, urging the government to assist the affected families. In most of the rural areas of Kullu district, there are no proper arrangements to tackle fires, and the water tanks are located far from villages.

Despite the villagers’ attempts to douse the flames with buckets of water and soil, the destruction was unavoidable. With fire trucks arriving too late, the damage amounted to crores of rupees, according to the village’s Panchayat president and former head of the Panchayat Samiti.