Over 70 houses burnt in Himachal village

More than 70 houses, mostly wooden, and property worth lakhs of rupees were gutted in a major fire in the interiors of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday evening, an official said.

"There are reports of 70-80 houses destroyed in the fire in Kotla village in Banjar area," Kullu Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kanwar told IANS over phone.

He said government teams have reached the spot, some 275 from state capital Shimla, and started evacuating the villagers.

"We are providing blankets, tents and woollens to the fire-hit people," he said.

The cause of the fire and estimated losses were being ascertained, he added.

Witnesses said rescue workers had a tough time reaching the village as it was not connected by road.